“PS JALLOW: MoBSE
TO RESTORE CIVICS IN GAMBIA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM”
Could the restoration of Civics as a
subject of study in the Gambia’s education curriculum remedy the growing
misconceptions of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, civic obligations
and responsibilities in the country?
Well, the need to resuscitate and
mainstream Civics in our education system has forever been a concern for most
Gambians especially those that had once offered it before it was cleansed off
from the curriculum. It is against this backdrop that the Education Students’
Association (EDUSA) of the University of The Gambia organised a symposium on
Wednesday 18th April, 2018 at Gambia College, Brikama with the
ultimate aim of recruiting the public and the concerned authorities attention to
the relevance of Civics in our new dispensation.
The theme for the event was:
“The Importance of Civic Education in Gambia Education System.” This
educational symposium was well-attended and had drawn students and teachers
from Senior Schools in Brikama, Gambia College, the University of the Gambia,
as well as the invited dignitaries.
In his opening statement, the
President of EDUSA, Alhagie B. Sama welcomed and thanked all the students in
the School of Education University of The Gambia especially his executive for
making this event a success. He equally expressed gratitude and appreciation to
the Dean of School of Education, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Basic and
Secondary Education, the GTU, and UTG Students’ Union for their continuous
support and collaboration in the implementation of his association’s activity
plans in the past year. President Sama expounded on the significance of Civic
Education in the new Gambia, thus he appealed to the authorities for its
rejuvenation into our education system.
The Senior Programe Officer for
National Council for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr. Yusupha Bojang explained that Civic Education
means the process of educating and promoting civic engagement and participation
among the citizenry to be able to know their civic obligations and
responsibilities in a democratic state. Bojang emphatically said part of his
Council’s aims is to enlighten and reliably inform the populace through
different platforms of their civic rights and responsibilities for
participatory democracy, as well as to understand the concept of good
governance, how government is formed and its functions to the state.
For his part, Mr. Essa Sowe, the
Deputy General Secretary of The Gambia Teachers’ Union (GTU) highly hailed and
commended the executive of EDUSA for coming up with such initiative, noting
that this could not have come at an appropriate time than now. Mr. Sowe
strongly argued that Civic Education is a process and not an event.
He further
highlighted the crucial roles of teachers in promoting and enhancing Civic
Education in The Gambia, citing that teachers are essential recipes for peace
and sustainable growth in any democratic nation. DGS Sowe, however, challenged
teachers to be proactive and jealously embraced the tenets of their profession,
while urging them to continuously strengthen the democratic values, norms, and
cultures through teaching and learning in their various communities.”
Being a
teacher should not deter one’s role in the community,” said Mr. Sowe.
He genuinely recommended the Ministry of
Basic and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research,
Science, and Technology to considerreintegratingand reincorporating Civics into
our education curriculum for a good reason. Sowe called on the government and
the state to ensure rights for association, assembly, and
other democratic values are supported and strengthened for greater
participation and development.
Muhammed B.S. Jallow, the Permanent
Secretary of MoBSE underscored the significance of Civic Education, noting that
it would be necessary to educate our children the relevance of it. “Time has
come for The Gambia to talk about proper civic education and participation in
this new dispensation. Countries such as Ghana and Nigeria still offer Civics
as a subject in their curriculum, and about 95% of the students who sit to
WASSCE have good credits in it,” said Mr. Jallow.
Hehighlighted some challenges
involved in the process of restoring Civics ranging from designing a curriculum
(distinguishing facts from opinions), those aspects to be in the curriculum,
training of teachers in Civic Education to the teaching materials required. PS
Jallow eventually assured the students that his ministry together with the GTU
and other relevant stakeholders will work closely to bring back Civics in
Gambia Education system.
The event was characterised by
presentation of certificates to the Dean, School of Education, the GTU, MoBSE,
and GTUCCU in appreciation of their unflinching support and motivation to
students of the School of Education, University of The Gambia through the 8thexecutive
council of EDUSA.
Author: Yankuba Manneh
