A Vital Week for the Development of The Gambia

The Global Week of Action on Education begins today and what a welcome beginning it is. We have written before on the good work being done by Education for All Campaign Network The Gambia (EFANET) and must again extend our congratulations. We also take the opportunity to urge all those who can contribute to the efforts being made this coming Wednesday to break the world record to do so with all their energy.

The World’s Biggest Lesson will take place in over 100 countries at the same time and will ask politicians important questions about what they are doing to make sure that everyone has access to a quality education.

72 million children and 774 million adults are currently without an education. Where we live and who we are makes all the difference whether we get a quality education. Girls, disabled children and those living in areas of conflict are most at risk of missing out on an education. This injustice must become a thing of the past.

The Global Campaign for Education agrees and doesn’t think this is fair. They are a coalition which promotes education for all children and adults everywhere. They jointly pressurise governments and the international community to take immediate action to deliver on their promise of quality, free compulsory education to everyone.

The cross-country chain with Senegal worked a treat in getting the attention of the country’s education leaders. The Permanent Secretary, Department of State for Education highlighted the importance of education for national development, and pledged that any child identified to be outside of the school system would be supported to go to school.   Globally, 5.5 million people joined up for education rights.

In The Gambia, the World’s Biggest Lesson is being taught in schools, municipal and area councils and Gambia College on this Wednesday the 23rd of April.

The national highlight event will be taking place in the Fonni Kansala area of Western Region on the Wednesday at Fatima Senior Secondary School in Bwiam.  Leading politicians are being invited back to school for a lesson taught by a student. The lesson will be about the right to education, and what still needs to be done to make education available to all. 

This is among the most valuable lessons any politician can learn so we urge those who have been invited to take part to do so with gusto and take on board what they are being taught.