Louise Moses Mendy was speaking on Thursday during the official opening ceremony of a day-long National Consultation meeting held at the Regional Education Directorate in Region One Kanifing.
The meeting brought together stakeholders to MoBSE on the theme: “Mainstreaming Pre-Vocational Education in Basic Education Sector (Grades 4, 5 and 6”).
“Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme is being look at by my ministry and MoHERST,” he said adding that young people need to have skills during their tender age.
He used the chance to call on the educationists to come forward and participate fully towards revitalising the education system. He pointed out that the system needs reform and as a ministry, he added, they want to look at agriculture in details within the schools system.
MoBSE No.2 revealed before participants that his ministry would conduct national education policy review meeting next year and he called on everyone to be part of the process.
Chairman, National Assembly Select Committee on Education, Hon. Yaya Gassama, said as Gambians, we are now seeing the importance of TVET in schools while urging all and sundry to address fundamental gaps in our education system.
Hon. Sidia Jatta also challenged MoBSE and partners to organise TEVT National conference, while stressing that no outsiders would come and develop Gambia for us.
“We need to take part in the development process of our country rather than putting our hope on foreigners. Education system needs to be reconstructed so as to save the interest of Gambians,” Hon. Jatta said.
The main objective of the meeting include organising and leading a stakeholder conference on mainstreaming Pre-Vocational Education in basic education grades 4, 5 and 6. It also aims at mobilising local support initiatives and funding from both government and private partners for the implementation of the pre-vocational education in grades 4, 5 and 6.
The ministry is working towards achieving the aspiration of one policy goal of the two ministries of education especially in TVET education, to address the current human capital development needs of the country per the recently launched TVET Policy. This will pave the way for bridging the skills gaps that existed between one level of education to another and offering opportunity for creating a competitive career path development for skills sectors (formal and informal) in The Gambia just like in other careers.
