This is telling the cat is out of the bag, Gambia's educational programme is
in crisis. If the principal of Gambia High school acknowledged that there is
not enough subvention going to the school then this scenario could be
replicated to all the state assisted schools, if this is the case then the
loosers would be none other that the ordinary tax payers who cannot afford
expensive private tuitions. Thus many of their children would be
disadvantaged for a school without learning facilities bis bound to produce
inferior results. Having been to the UN children confrence and making a
challenging swpeech one would have thought that at least in the field of
education progress is being recorded but from the appeals of a senior
principal it is evident that education is not the priority, eventhough there
is much verbal emphasis on it. I hope the authorities would put their money
where their mouth is, for it is not enough to globe trot giving sermons when
at the relivant point the3re is no delivery. For any country to achievement
any meaningful development education has to be at the epicenter, failure to
acknowledge will only foil the progress of the future generations. I hope
the author4ities will heed to calls of the principal and inject6 enough
resources so as to enable them to accomplish their work without any
hinderance.

I know the arguement had been that more schools were built, well that is a
commendable thing but we must avoid such buildings becoming redundant and
that would be the case if no resources are allocated to ensure their smooth
operations. I hope more teachers and principals will expose the ndire
conditions they work in without any resources so that theier course for
better funding could be championed. Members of parliament are there for a
reason, they could ask the relivant questions to get the relivant answers,
for instance Gambians may want to compare the defe4nce budget to that of
education and agriculture, by knowing such information a governments
priority will be clear.

I hope the rhetoric will cease and the reality prevails.


>From: "Yusupha  C. Jow" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Gambia High in dire straits Principal Carr appeals to gov’t
>Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 21:25:34 EDT
>
>Gambia High in dire straits Principal Carr appeals to gov’t
>
>The principal of The Gambia Senior Secondary School, Rev. Willie Carr, has
>lamented the precarious financial situation of his school, calling for
>urgent
>intervention from the government and the private sector for a prompt
>revival.
>Using the occasion of the school’s speech and prize-giving ceremony
>Friday
>Principal Carr revealed that The Gambia Senior Secondary School was in dire
>financial straits due to the reduction of the grant-in-aid and school fees
>by
>the government, thus hampering most of the school’s development projects
>and
>programmes.
>
>According to him, until 1997 the school was receiving D155, 000 as grant in
>aid, but that was reduced to D137,004 in the intervening years. By the same
>token he said, tuition fees, which used to be D250 was also slashed as the
>school was mandated to subsidize students’ WAEC examination fees. ‘All
>these, have interplayed to confine the school to a tight financial corner,
>so
>severe to the extent that it owes about half a million Dalasis to its
>bankers, NAWEC, and WAEC, among other institutions’ he revealed. He said
>for
>the first time in the history of the school, staff salaries were being
>delayed.
>
>Carr, however said the school would cling to a ray of hope justified by its
>provision of meaningful and relevant education to students to whom the
>future
>of this nation belong. He sad the school continue to be a pace-setter in
>the
>development of education in the country. To that end, he said the school is
>expecting some science equipment worth about $79.000 from the United
>Kingdom,
>which once installed, would further boost the quality of results produced
>by
>the school. He also disclosed that work has already begun on some of the
>school’s development programmes such as the renovation and maintenance of
>its
>football pitch and road.
>
>He appealed to the government, NGOs, businesses and public-spirited
>individuals to assist the school financially to prevent it from going
>bankrupt. Deliberating on the theme, ‘Gratitude’, the guest speaker,
>Justice
>MamYassin Sey a former headgirl of the school, called on students to be
>grateful and stop being demanding and thoughtless of the welfare of others.
>She implored them to think of their less-fortunate brothers and sisters,
>who
>are child soldiers, child laborers and sex workers. “Your harmony, peace,
>security and future effectiveness as citizens of this country, depend upon
>your maintenance of a thoughtful attitude in your public relations”, she
>said.
>
>She called on the graduating students to remember that the time has come
>for
>them to confront the incessant challenges presented by the wider world
>outside the school’s campus. “You must now mark out your workable
>philosophies of life and prepare to meet society’s demand for closer
>independence, vocational competence, responsible citizenry among others”
>she
>admonished. The ceremony, which was punctuated by drama, was chaired by
>Ousman Ndow the chairman of the school’s Board of Directors. Latir Carr,
>the
>school’s out-going head boy delivered the vote of thanks.
>
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