The commemoration held on Saturday 5 October was celebrated under the theme: “Valuing Teacher Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education.”
In her statement, Marie Antoinette Corr, Secretary General of The Gambia Teachers’ Union, said: “Education is fundamental to any thriving society. Society cannot thrive without the dedication, expertise, and the passion of teachers.”
Educator’s voices, she added, are essential in determining how education is designed and delivered.
According to her, “globally teachers overworked, undervalued and underpaid. Therefore, more and more teachers are leaving the profession and few young people aspire to become teachers. This therefore resulted in a global shortage of over 44 million teachers, thus putting the right to education at risk,” she claimed, adding that this has prompted a global call to strengthen the profession.
The GTU SG further added: “A new social contract is not only about curriculum reforms or technological advancements, it is about recognizing the dignity of the teaching profession, and ensuring that teachers are equipped with the tools, training and resources they need to excel.”
She spoke on the need for teachers to be involved in key decision-making processes, saying: “When teachers are empowered to contribute their insights and experience, educational policies and reforms are more likely to succeed.”
“In The Gambia, we face our unique set of challenges, from resource limitations to overcrowded classrooms, low pay and limited continuous professional development for teachers,” she said.
Despite these obstacles, she stated, “teachers have consistently demonstrated resilience, innovation and an unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation.”
“Our work is not merely a job, but a vocation that demands dedication and sacrifice. Therefore, teachers deserve recognition and the assurance that their voices matter.”
She maintained that the new social contract must include greater participation of teachers in policy-making, improved working conditions including decent staff quarters for teachers, increased remuneration in order to meet regional and global standards.
Concluding, she said, “there should investment in continuous professional development, establishment of an Education Service Commission to cater for the increasing services and welfare of the education sector and respect for the teaching profession.”
