The initiative is aimed at equipping school administrators with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to support the effective implementation of the programme in all public Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres and Lower Basic Schools.
The orientation sessions commenced on 22 September in Region One and Region Two West before being extended to other regions across the country as part of the national rollout strategy.
The programme seeks to strengthen school and community support structures while enhancing the capacity of school leaders to play their critical roles in promoting and sustaining foundational learning in their respective institutions.
Speaking during an orientation session in Barra Essau in the North Bank Region, Simon Awami Awentemi, Project Manager at Learning Masterminds (LM), underscored the pivotal role of school leaders in ensuring the programme's success.
"Head teachers and deputy head teachers are the frontline champions of foundational learning. Their commitment will determine the success of this programme in classrooms and communities across the country," he said.
For her part, Awa Saho-Jallow, Head of MoBSE's In-Service Education and Training Unit (INSET), highlighted the progress made in curriculum development and teacher training ahead of the nationwide implementation.
She called on school leaders to prepare for the responsibilities ahead and remain committed to supporting, guiding and motivating teachers throughout the reform process.
Mrs Saho-Jallow noted that the success of the initiative would depend largely on the dedication and leadership demonstrated at the school level.
The Foundational Learning Programme, supported by the World Bank through the Resilience, Inclusion, Skills and Equity (RISE) Project, targets children in ECD 2 and ECD 3 as well as Grades One to Three.
The programme focuses on strengthening literacy and numeracy skills through the use of national languages, with the objective of improving learning outcomes among young children during the early years of education.
The initiative forms part of MoBSE's broader education reform agenda aimed at laying a stronger foundation for lifelong learning and improving the quality of education across The Gambia.
Meanwhile, orientation sessions have already been conducted in Region Five North, Region Five South and Region Six as the national sensitisation campaign continues to gather momentum.
Education officials believe the programme will play a key role in improving foundational learning outcomes and ensuring that children across the country acquire essential literacy and numeracy skills from an early age.
