Following the visit of a Representative of the Society of Friends in 1821, a party of five persons including two Gambian Wollofs, arrived in The Gambia in 1823 with the two-fold aim of establishing a school for girls in Bathurst and a ploughing school outside Bathurst for boys.
The Wesleyan, now Methodist Mission, arrived in 1824 at the invitation of Sir Charles MacCarthy, then Governor of Sierra Leone and in 1826 started their first elementary school. The Roman Catholic and Anglican Missions were established about the middle of the Nineteenth Century. By the end of the century, eight educational units in all had been established by the Methodist, Roman Catholic and Anglican Missions—the Society of Friends having withdrawn completely from the scene. As in other parts of West Africa, the Missions had undertaken the task of education as an adjunct to their religious activities; they hoped to enable converts to read religious Literature and, possibly, help in evangelistic work. Subsequently, they combined this aim with that of supplying suitable entrants to the Civil Service and the Mercantile Houses.
Although the Government introduced two Education Ordinances in 1882 and 1886 respectively, it was not until 1900 that it accepted direct responsibility for Education. Prior to 1937 when the first Director of Education was appointed, educational matters had been almost entirely in the hands of the Missions. The Police Magistrate had acted as Inspector of Schools and as Liaison Officer between the Missions and Government from 1913 onwards. Government's interest had been confined to the provision of financial assistance to Missions and to a somewhat nebulous control of education policy through the Board of Education. The Department of Education was created in 1930 but it was only seven years later that it was placed under the control of a full-time Specialist Officer.
- AIMS AND POLICY OF THE NATIONAL SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
1.1 Broad National Aims of Education.
Aims, Statement of.
In 1925, The Secretary of State for the Colonies' Advisory Committee on Native Education in the British Tropical African Dependencies prepared a memorandum which was entitled EDUCATION POLICY IN BRITISH TROPICAL AFRICA. This epoch-making document was issued as a White Paper and was circulated to the different Governors of British Colonies in Africa. The Board of Education in the Gambia adopted the principles therein stated as the basis for planning and reforming its educational system. It aimed at the provision of basic schooling of the right quality for the greatest possible number of children that the slender resources of the territory could allow.
Recent Changes.
In 1953, after the Cambridge Conference on African Education, the Board of Education agreed that the aims of Primary Education should be
- the development of sound standards of individual conduct and behaviour ;
- the understanding of the Community and of what is of value in its development and of the contribution which the individual can make to the Community;
- the development of a lively curiosity leading to a desire for knowledge about the immediate environment and the world outside;
- permanent literacy;
- the acquisition of some skill of hand and the recognition of the value of manual work.
1.2. Policy—Processes of.
The formulation of policy is the responsibility of the Ministry within which is a Department of Education. The head of the later—still designated "Director"—is the chief Professional Adviser to the Minister of Education and is responsible for the professional and advisory side of the Ministry. The Permanent Secretary upon whom rests the ultimate responsibility for the implementation of Government Policy in the field of Education is the Administrative head of the Ministry. This policy may be applied at the direction of either Parliament or the Cabinet or by an order of the Minister of Education as appropriate.
Machinery for consultation exists in the form of Statutory Management Committee for Local Agreement (Primary) Schools as well as the Advisory Council on Education which now replaces the former Board of Education. The Council is presided over by the Director of Education and its membership includes representatives of Voluntary Agencies, The Bathurst City Council, Area Councils, The Muslim Community, Female interests, the Teachers' Union and Officials from other Departments whose activities impinge on those of Education in the rural areas. Its functions are clearly defined in the 1963 Education Act.
"It shall be the duty of the Council to advise and report to the Minister on questions of policy affecting education and matters of educational significance and to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by or under this Act."
- Policy—Content of.
One of the first tasks of the Director of Education, after his appointment in 1937, was to carry out a full enquiry into the educational system. His findings revealed that education had not developed along the right lines. It was bookish, impractical and of a very low standard. The Missions which up to then had been mainly responsible for education had had great difficulty in finding sufficient funds for the maintenance of their schools; they had neither given proper weight to the need for practical training and secondary education nor had they extended their activities on any substantial scale to the rest of the country outside Bathurst.
The Report entitled "Education in The Gambia—Present Organisation and Possible Future Development" which was published in 1939, received the support of the Colonial Office Advisory Council on Education and formed the basis of a Government "Statement of Policy Regarding Education in The Gambia"—which was issued in 1941.
The Responsibilities of the State.
The Policy Statement of 1941 which was the first ever issued by the Government can be said to mark the beginning of Government's serious involvement with matters educational. It is unnecessary to trace the evolution from being a junior partner in the field of educational co-operation to the present dominant position the Government now occupies. At the moment 66 out of 94 Primary Schools are Government Schools; so also are 6 out of the present 12 Junior Secondary Schools. Although only I of the Senior Secondary Schools is a Government School, the rest are grant aided. The only Teacher Training College in the territory is a Government Institution as are also the two Vocational Training Centres. 90 of the Teachers in the Primary Sector are Civil Servants. The salaries and conditions of service of all teachers are determined by Government.
As fully developed Local Education Authorities and Local School Boards (The Board of Governors of the Independent, non-denominational Gambia High School excepted) have not yet emerged, responsibility for not only providing educational facilities but organising and administering these facilities largely devolves on Government. It enacts the laws and regulations; carries out planning and administration of the service; provides the funds for school buildings and is responsible for the inspection and supervision of the majority of schools at all levels.
The Role of the Community.
School Committees and Parent-Teacher Associations have been established in a number of villages. Where teachers have succeeded in establishing good relations with the members of these organisations, the local communities play an important part. In some cases, they undertake tasks which are beyond the physical ability of pupils such as the collection and transportation of building materials. Craftsmen, such as Masons, Carpenters Blacksmiths give of their skill and time in building temporary structures to serve as classrooms, bridges and access roads to enable children from remote villages to attend schools and furniture for use by children in the villages. Women voluntarily undertake the preparation of meals provided under a modest school m2al programme. The menfolk, on the other hand, sometimes make land available for a permanent school building or offer to provide accommodation for children from remote villages.
While it is a fact that a number of schools have for one reason or the other had to be closed for lack of support from the communities who had been expected to make use of them, in many areas very keen interest has been shown and the demand for schools has been on the increase. Delegations from different parts of the country frequently call on the Minister either to make a request, or to pursue a request which had previously been made, for a school to be opened. It is now customary for local communities to agree to be responsible for erecting, maintaining and equipping temporary structures for a period of at least 2 years before permanent classrooms are built by Government, if it is clear that the "Pilot Schools," (which they are, in effect) are likely to be successful. They also accept responsibility for providing accommodation for the teachers concerned during this trial period. The Role of Private Education.
Private education is provided in three categories of "private" schools: Catechetical, Nursery and Village Self-help Schools. These schools are 'private' in the sense that they do not receive financial assistance from Government funds. In most cases, they have official permission to function as required by the Education Act. Catechetical schools are run by the Roman Catholic Mission in different parts of the Provinces for the benefit of their adherents. They are expected to teach the Catechism only to recent or prospective converts. Nursery schools, on the other hand, are mainly found in Bathurst. They tend to cater for children whose parents can afford to pay relatively high fees. They are patronised by children of various nationalities and some, indeed, resemble "International Schools" of other countries.
In many villages, the urge for education is so great that villagers proceed with the erection of temporary structures as classrooms long before they know whether permission has been given them to start a school or not. The type of education provided is of doubtful quality as the villagers invariably make use of people with only a smattering of education to take charge of the children they are able to muster.
There is at least one private Commercial School which provides instruction in Typewriting and Shorthand.
Participation of Institutions, Associations, Corporate Bodies etc.
There are no Universities or Institutions of Higher Education in The Gambia. There is therefore missing the contribution that such institutions can make not only at the level of higher education but also at a lower level by way of putting forward ideas on educational matters and giving expert advice on specific problems.
The Gambia Teachers' Union is represented on most bodies connected with education. Its influence is, however, not now as great as it used to be in the recent past. On the other hand, The Gambia Women's Federation actively promotes the interests of women and is untiring in its advocacy for the provision of more opportunities for the training of women and girls.
The Bathurst City Council, the most developed of the Local Government bodies, runs a Junior Secondary School. It receives no financial support from the Central Government but officers of the Department of Education provide advice on professional matters, including Inspection of School.
The other Local Government bodies—The Area Councils—are more active in the development of Education in the Provinces. All applications for the opening of schools in the rural areas have not only to be channelled through them but also to receive their support. Additionally, they pay the salaries of Koranic Teachers, Village Homecraft Teachers and Caretakers and make a contribution towards the purchase of Sports and School equipment including furniture. They award scholarships to Senior Secondary Schools and participate both in the School Milk and Adult Education Schemes.
Both the Bathurst City Council and the Area Councils are represented on the Advisory Council on Education and therefore are in a position to assist in the formulation of educational policy.
Policy for Different Groups.
The Gambia Government does not provide separate educational facilities for different linguistic, ethnic or religious groups. It aims at providing basic schooling of the right quality for the greatest number of children that her slender resources can allow.
Policy for different parts of the National Territory and for different age groups.
Until 1961, there was no policy for different parts of the country as such. However, in a Sessional Paper on Education issued in that year, notice was taken of the increasing demand for education in the Provinces:
“The demand which in the past has been uncertain, now shows signs of marked increase and it is intended to open at least six schools each year from January 1962; if this programme can be maintained, it is estimated that about 35% of the 6-year-old age group will be able to obtain admission to schools by 1965 rising to 50% by 1970. In the Protectorate, where Armitage School is the only Post-Primary Institution, it will be necessary to establish post-primary schools to absorb a similar percentage of the output of the primary schools as is provided for in the Colony and it is considered that this must have priority over the extension of post-primary education in the Colony. It is estimated that 6 such schools will be required by 1965; it is intended that they shall be sited near the main centres of population, shall be mainly day schools, although some boarding provision will be necessary and that they shall be semi-vocational in character, with the aim of encouraging pupils to make their living in rural areas, and not to seek employment in Bathurst. It is intended that one or two schools shall be sited sufficiently near Bathurst to attract Protectorate boys who have settled in the urban area.”
A recent Report by a UNESCO Planning mission "the Development Programme in Education in The Gambia 1965-1975" showed that in Bathurst 66% of the children in the 6-12 Age Group were in Primary Schools in 1964 as against 16% in the Provinces. In the view of the Mission, while the attainment of Universal Primary Education in Bathurst by 1970 was quite likely, this goal could not be reached in the Provinces in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the Report recommends substantial increase in expansion in the Provinces so as to raise the latter figure to 25% by 1970 and about 40% in 1975.
Girls and Women.
Government's educational Policy is based on the mixed school; girls have the same opportunities for education as boys. However, the enrolment of girls is approximately 30% of the total at all levels.
In a memorandum submitted in 1965 by an Ad Hoc Committee on "The Educational needs of the Women of the Gambia; Opportunities for their employment and Training," attention was drawn to the following points:
- The paucity of scholarship awards to girls.
- The desirability of awarding scholarships at the Diploma level.
- The need for Evening Classes for girls and women.
- The limited nature of employment opportunities of women with higher academic qualifications.
- The need for assistance from the Revolving Loan Scheme so as to make it possible for women to set up in business.
- The need for training a wide range of persons to work in the Provinces.
In general, the Committee advocated for more opportunities for training and, in particular, for the lowering of standards when consideration is being given to the possible award of scholarships and bursaries to women. It examined the causes of Wastage during the Secondary School Courses, the employment opportunities of women and girls and made some useful recommendations.
The Committee's recommendations were subsequently considered by the Training Board which agreed, in principle, to the setting up, initially, of a Home craft Centre in Bathurst in order to cater for school girls as well as the adult female members of the Community and ultimately a similar centre or centres in the Provinces. The Board also agreed to the provision of more scholarship and training awards for Girls and Women as well as a further examination of their needs in the field of Vocational Education after a Manpower Survey has been carried out.
Handicapped Children.
The Government is conscious of the needs of handicapped children; nevertheless, its straitened financial resources preclude it from giving priority to the needs of this class of children over those of the majority of normal children. There is a Rural Training Centre for the Blind at a place nearly 180 miles from Bathurst; for the present, however, the trainees are adults and not children or school-going age,
Those in restricted Social or Economic circumstances.
Fees are charged at both Primary and Secondary Schools:
"Pupils who are the children of or under the care of necessitous parents or guardians or who are orphans may be exempted from the payment of school fees in whole or in part."
Up to 4% of pupils on the nominal roll of Primary Schools and on the nominal or Government Junior Secondary Schools may benefit from the remission of school fees should their circumstances warrant it.
Gifted Children: those with Special Aptitudes.
No special provision is made for children in this category. Understandably, they win the limited number of Government scholarships which are awarded from Primary Schools to Secondary Schools. Additionally, there are between 60 to 70 holders of Sixth Form Bursaries in the only Senior Secondary School with a Sixth Form in the Country.
For Potential Manpower.
Government has as yet no clear-cut manpower policy. Nevertheless, it is fair to state that it is committed to the carrying out of a systematic survey of the country's Manpower needs as a basis for Training and Scholarship Policy. It is hoped this will be done in the course of this year. Meanwhile, it avails itself of offers or scholarships and Training awards which are made from time to time by other countries. There is a Scholarship Advisory Committee which considers applications for scholarships tenable overseas and makes recommendations to the Minister of Education.
There is also a Training Board whose functions are:
- to advise and assist Government in matters connected with the planning, financing, organisation and development of' vocational training and the facilities required;
- to advise on the trades for which training should be provided and the nature of the training to be given;
- to advise as required on the forms of training to be arranged for members of the Government Service or persons to be sponsored by the Government and where appropriate, upon the selection of candidates.
The Board advises the Prime Minister's Office which co-ordinates offers of training from bilateral and other sources.
When the results of the Manpower Survey are known, the Scholarship Advisory Committee and the Training Board will be in a position to frame realistic scholarship and training programmes geared to meet the manpower requirements of the country.
Priorities.
These can be briefly listed :
- Teacher Training.
To expand and improve existing facilities and to staff the Teacher Training College adequately so as to:
(l) make possible the training of 70 teachers per annum.
(II) incorporate a centre for educational research and experimentation.
- Secondary Education.
(lII) To provide varied but sound education at this level.
- To integrate all secondary level education into a balanced system of secondary education and make more school places available at this level.
- To improve the staffing position in both Senior and Junior Secondary Schools.
- Primary Education.
(lV) To improve the quality of teaching in our Primary Schools.
(V) To maintain a balance between the development of education at this level and other levels of the system.
(VI) To provide for a more uniform spread of' education in the rural areas.
(VII) To provide scholarships training awards to enable more women to benefit from training abroad.
1.4 The National System of Education.
Scope.
The National System of education covers the institutions and training establishments under the control of the Minister of Education or under the control of Voluntary Agencies. It comprises pre-Primary, Primary, Secondary, Vocational and Technical, Teacher Training and Adult Education sections. The Report of the UNESCO Planning Mission was critical of the existing system:
"The existing structure of the educational provision clearly indicates an accretion of institutions which have emerged as a result of local pressures or organisations. . . .
Collectively they do not amount to a national system."
The definitions given below apply to the National System, such as it is.
Definition.
In Mission and Private Schools, pupils are admitted at the age of 5, sometimes 4, to a pre-primary course.
The majority of children, however, enter the Primary School which caters for the 6-12 age group. The course is of six years duration and promotion is normally by age. There are the following categories of schools providing education at the first level.
- Government schools.
- Local Agreement schools.
- Mission schools.
Pupils completing the Primary Course take the Common Entrance Examination for entry to Secondary Schools.
Secondary Education.
The Junior Secondary Schools Course provides a four-year course leading to a local examination known as "The Secondary Four Examination."
A Working Party which was set up to consider proposals for the up-grading of this class of schools made the following recommendations:
- The course should be of four years’ duration and should be complete in
- The standard of work should be raised; ultimately, the level of work done in the first three years in all secondary schools should be the same.
- The first three years of the course should consist of a core of general subjects together with optional practical subjects.
- Specialisation on practical subjects should be permitted during the fourth year, though all students would continue with the general subjects. (5) A suitable terminal (Overseas) examination should be arranged.
- The standard of work during the first three years should be such as to remove the sense of inferiority from the minds of pupils who follow the course and the General Public as well. It should also permit the transfer of pupils from these schools to either Senior Secondary Schools or The Rural Vocational Centre or the Vocational Training Centre.
These recommendations which have been accepted are now being implemented.
The Senior Secondary Schools follow a six-year course leading to the G.C.E. 'O' level examination of the West African Examinations Council. Pupils who wish to go to the Sixth Form are offered admission if they so desire and if they satisfy the Sixth Form entry requirements.
Post-Secondary Education.
Post-Secondary Education is provided at the Teacher Training College at Yundum and the Vocational Training Centres in Bathurst and Sapu. The former offers a 3-year course to students who hold 'O' level qualifications or have had at least 5 years’ education in a Senior Secondary school. It is exclusively for the training of Primary School Teachers.
The Vocational Training Centres provide courses of varying duration.
For Higher Education, Gambian Students usually continue their studies overseas and benefit from the award of scholarships made available by either the Government of the Gambia or the Government of other countries.
Responsibilities.
Responsibility for education is vested in the Minister of Education. After the Budget has been approved by Parliament, the Permanent Secretary and the Director of Education are authorised to incur expenditure.
Recent Policy Changes—1946 to date.
In 1945, the Secretary of State for the Colonies advised that the Gambia Government should assume full responsibility for Primary Education in Bathurst and should take over existing Mission Schools. After a visit to the Gambia by his Educational Adviser, Mr. (now Sir) Christopher Cox, the conclusions reached on short-term proposals for the development of Education in Bathurst were set out in an Agreement (The Cox Agreement) which came into effect soon afterwards and was subsequently embodied in the Education Ordinance of 1946. This document is of historic significance in that it marks the beginning of the partnership between the Missions and Government in the field of Primary Education in Bathurst. The category of schools which are under denominational Management Committees and are known as "Local Agreement Schools" came into existence then.
In 1950, Mr. T. H. Baldwin, then Assistant Educational Adviser to the Secretary of States for the Colonies, reported on all aspects of education in The Gambia. One of the main recommendations of the BALDWIN REPORT was that there should be established an independent, non-denominational Co-educational Secondary School. This recommendation was accepted and the school was established in 1958.
In the same year, Government issued a Policy Statement on Education in the Rural Areas announcing its intention to extend the Primary School Course from four to six years and to open 3 new District Authority Schools a year.
In 1951, Government took two far-reaching decisions:
- to extend the spread of education in the Provinces;
- to improve the quality of education in the Colony and Protectorate.'
The publication of Sessional Paper No. 1/1961, EDUCATIONAL POLICY 1961-65, was the high-water mark of educational development in the period 1946-68. The important features of the Policy outlined can be briefly summarised:
Primary Education.
- The duration of the Primary Course should be six years.
- The age of admission to Primary Schools should be six years.
- Primary Schools in the Provinces should be open at the rate of six per annum so as to make possible a 35% enrolment by 1965.
Secondary Education.
- Admission to secondary schools should be by way of a Selective Common Entrance Examination.
- Armitage School should be up-graded to a Grammar School.
- A fourth year was to be added to the course provided at the Crab Island School.
- Six Post-Primary Schools were to be established in the Provinces by 1965.
- A Sixth Form Course established in The Gambia High School the preceding year was to be consolidated.
- An improvement in the quality of Secondary Education was to take priority over further expansion.
Vocational Education.
- Teacher Training.
(10) The intake to the College should be increased from 30 to 50 students per annum.
(l l) The duration of the course should be extended to 3 years for some students.
- The Annual Output should be 50 teachers.
- There should be more organised In-Service Training and Refresher Courses for teachers.
- Technical & Vocational Training.
- The Bathurst Technical School should be expanded, and a second Technical School considered for the Protectorate.
- Clerical Training.
- Clerical Training should be resumed as soon as it was practicable to do so.
- An Adult Literacy Scheme for the Protectorate should be considered.
- More attention should be paid to Girls' Education.
- More scholarships should be awarded to Fourah Bay College.
In 1962, the Central Government took over the building and running of Primary Schools from District Authorities who were experiencing great difficulties in meeting both Capital and Recurrent Costs.
Following a survey by a UNESCO Expert in 1963 of Technical Training Needs and Facilities in The Gambia, the scope of the Bathurst Technical School was expanded, the courses were increased, and it was re-named the Vocational Training Centre,
Towards the end of 1965, a UNESCO Planning Mission which was sponsored by UNICEF arrived in The Gambia. The Report of the Mission. "THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN EDUCATION FOR THE GAMBIA 1965-1975 is the most up-to-date survey of Education in The Gambia. The main emphasis is on the raising of standards at all levels. Additionally, it plans for the attainment of the Addis Ababa target of Universal Primary Education in Bathurst; suggests economies in School Building and construction of school furniture and advocates a fresh approach to Education in the Rural Areas. At the Secondary and Post-Secondary level, the Report makes provision for the up-grading of existing institutions and recommends the establishment of Rural Vocational Schools which should make a great impact on rural communities.
The Government has accepted the programme outlined in the Report as the basis of its long-term Educational Policy subject to its budgetary position.
