Sanusi,

I am sure you will agree with me that of the 6,900 or so students who could
not make it to high school during your school days over 70% of these either
repeated or dropped out altogether. This is because there were only about
ten or so Junior Secondary schools. As for the 1,011 students who did not
get the cut-off mark this year, there are sufficient skills and vocational
training centres to absorb them and more are being built and equiped.

As for free education for girls, I forgot to mention that it is already free
for girls in the provinces, atleast at the primary level. There is also a
special fund for deserving girls at a higher level. As for the
discrimanatory nature of the policy, lets just say that it is a way of
encouraging the education of the girl-child. It is also a way of balancing
out the discrimination of women by our inheritance tradition. Moreover, the
policy is there to benifit anyone. People have just to try and get girls
(Just a joke).

Have a very good day, Gassa.

>From: Sanusi Owens <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: It is not all that gloomy.
>Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 14:40:55 +0100
>
>Mr Gassama
>
>Some 25 years ago, I sat to the Common Entrance
>Examination. I could remember Mr Charles Fowlis of
>blessed memory telling us that out of 7,600
>Candidates, only 700 high school places were
>available. In other words 6,900 candidates will either
>have to enrol at the Junior Secondary School or retake
>the Examination. Given that the APRC Government has
>scrapped all the junior secondary technical schools,
>what plans has it got for the 1011 candidates that
>failed the Examination. Moreover, I am a bit puzzled
>with Yankuba Touray's pronouncement on free education
>for girls. Is this not a new form of discrimination?
>
>Gassama I hope you will shed more light on the issues
>which I have raised.
>
>Have a pleasant afternoon.
>
>Sanusi.
>
>
>--- Jungle Sunrise <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >
>FROM THE GAMBIA DAILY - Monday 13 August 2001.
> >
> > The results of the 2000 - 2001 Primary School
> > Leaving Certificate
> > Examinations (PSLCE) are out and 11,426 out of
> > 12,437 candidates obtained
> > the cut-off mark.
> >
> > The Department of State for education released the
> > information to the Gambia
> > Daily yesterday. The education authorities further
> > anounced that "due to the
> > expansion registered in our education system and
> > particularly at the upper
> > basic level, the transition rate to grade 7 this
> > year will be 92%".
> >
> > According to DOSE, with the planned phasing out of
> > the PSLCE, the
> > examinations were only conducted in regions 1 and 2.
> > As a result of the
> > available spaces at grade 7 in the two regions
> > concerned, the cut-off mark
> > for this year is 214. It said candidates are to
> > receive their individual
> > results from their respective schools.
> >
> > RESULTS BY GENDER.
> > The number of pupils that entered for the
> > examinations was 12,437,
> > comprising 6,603 male and 5,834 females. The highest
> > mark registered this
> > year is 397, scored by Isatou Jagne of St. Joseph's
> > ex-pupils lower basic
> > school. This mark is 6 points lower than that of
> > last year.
> >
> > The top three possitions are occupied by Isatou
> > Jagne - 397 of St. Joseph's
> > ex-pupil's lower basic school; Fatou Samateh - 395
> > of Ndow's comprehensive
> > lower basic school; Momodou Lamin sanneh - 392 of
> > Nodw's comprehensive lower
> > basic school; and Awa sallah - 392 of St. Joseph's
> > ex-pupil's lower basic
> > school.
> >
> > In terms of school, the first 10 candidates are from
> > St. Joseph's ex-pupil's
> > lower basic school and Ndow's comprehensive lower
> > basic school.
> >
> > "The distribution by gender indicates that 93% of
> > the males and 91% of the
> > females who took the examinations passed. The
> > corresponding figures for last
> > year were 91% and 89% respectively. Out of the top
> > 20, 11 are boys and 9 are
> > girls.
> >
> > Lers, this goes to show how the Jammeh vision for
> > education is yielding
> > dividends. It was unthinkable in those days to have
> > such a high transition
> > rate from primary to middle school. The Jammeh
> > government's campaign to
> > educate the girl-child is also yielding the desired
> > results.
> >
> > In another development, the SOS for Tourism, Mr.
> > Yankuba Touray has
> > disclosed that from the 2002 accademic year girl's
> > education will be free
> > from grades 1 to 12. He also told APRC supporters in
> > Bakau that 85% of those
> > enrolled in the university of the Gambia are on full
> > scholarship.
> >
> > This is what is expected of a government that cares
> > about the development of
> > its human resources and by extension the development
> > of the country.
> >
> > It is said that "The sure way to miss success is to
> > miss the opportunit".
> > The APRC government will ensure that most don't miss
> > the opportunity to
> > learn.
> >
> > Have a good day, Gassa.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>_________________________________________________________________
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> >
> >
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