12Aug
The Baseline: Where The Gambia Started
When President Adama Barrow’s government took office in 2017, education was a central promise. The National Development Plan and the Education Sector Strategic Plan 2016-2030 set clear goals: free and compulsory basic education, gender parity, and improved learning outcomes. In 2015, net enrollment in lower basic was around 76%. Many children in rural areas walked long distances. Textbooks were scarce. Teacher qualification rates were low, and the budget allocation to education hovered near 10% of national spending. Private and madrassa schools absorbed much of the demand in urban areas.By 2026, the landscape has shifted, but not uniformly.Improvements: What Has Worked Since 2016 Access and Enrollment The biggest win is access. Government data and UNESCO reports show net enrollment in lower basic has risen to about 85% in 2025. Upper basic and senior secondary enrollment have also climbed. The policy of free tuition in public lower and upper basic schools, introduced and sustained since 2018, removed the biggest barrier for poor families.The School Feeding Program, supported by WFP and the government, now covers over 400 public schools, mostly in food-insecure regions. For many children in CRR and URR, the midday meal is the reason they come to school.Gender Parity The Gambia is one of the few West African countries to achieve gender parity at basic level. Girls’ enrollment now matches or slightly exceeds boys in lower and upper basic. Campaigns by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, MoBSE, NGOs like FAWEGAM, and religious leaders have reduced early marriage as a barrier, though it has not disappeared.Girls’ clubs, sanitary pad distribution in some schools, and female teacher recruitment have helped. In 2025, 42% of teachers in public basic schools were women, up from 35% in 2018.Infrastructure Expansion Over 200 new classrooms were built between 2019 and 2025 with support from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and Gambia’s budget. New senior secondary schools were opened in West Coast Region and North Bank Region to reduce travel distances. Solar panels have been installed in 60 schools to power lights and computers. This matters in areas with unstable grid power.Teacher Training and Curriculum Reform The Gambia College and School of Education have increased enrollment. Over 3,000 teachers received in-service training on learner-centered methods between 2021-2025. The curriculum was revised to include competencies in literacy, numeracy, and life skills. In 2024, MoBSE rolled out a new STEM syllabus for upper basic and senior secondary, with emphasis on agriculture, ICT and entrepreneurship.Digital and TVET Push By 2026, about 35% of public upper basic and senior secondary schools have at least one computer lab. The “Digital Gambia” project, funded by the World Bank, provided tablets and internet dongles to 100 schools. In TVET, the government and partners upgraded GTTI and regional centers. New courses in solar installation, catering, and garment making were introduced to align with tourism and construction demand.Shortfalls: Where the System Still Struggles Quality and Learning Outcomes Enrollment has risen, but learning has not kept pace. EGRA and EGMA assessments in 2024 showed that only 38% of Grade 3 pupils could read a simple paragraph with comprehension. In math, 45% could do two-digit subtraction. The reasons are familiar: large class sizes, often 50-60 pupils per teacher in urban schools, and language of instruction challenges. English is the medium, but many children enter school speaking Mandinka, Wolof, or Fula at home.Teacher Shortage and Motivation The Gambia needs an estimated 2,500 additional qualified teachers in 2026. Rural postings are hard to fill. Pay is low. A newly qualified teacher earns around D9,000 per month. Delays in salary and allowances are common. As a result, many schools rely on volunteer or “contract” teachers. Turnover is high.Dropout and Transition While basic education is free, senior secondary is not fully free. Fees, uniform, and transport costs push many students out. The transition rate from upper basic to senior secondary is about 62% nationally, and lower for boys in rural areas who leave for migration or work.Teenage pregnancy remains a driver of dropout for girls, despite re-entry policies.Hidden Costs for Parents “Free education” does not mean free. Parents in Brikama, Sukuta and rural areas still pay for PTA dues, exams, books, and extra lessons. A 2025 survey by ChildFund found the average household spends D4,200 per child per year on “basic education.” For families earning D20,000 a month, that is significant.Skills Mismatch and Youth Unemployment Employers in tourism, ICT, and agribusiness complain graduates lack practical skills. University graduates face unemployment. The University of The Gambia has expanded, but funding for labs, research, and lecturers is thin. Brain drain continues as qualified teachers and nurses migrate.Government Policy and Implementation to 2026 The Barrow administration’s second term, 2021-2026, kept education as a priority. Key actions:Free Basic Education Policy: Maintained and expanded to cover textbooks in core subjects.Education Sector Strategic Plan 2021-2030*: Focus on quality, equity, and governance. Mid-term review in 2024 showed 60% of targets on track.Budget:
Education received 13.8% of the national budget in 2025, the highest in 10 years. But it is still below the 20% UNESCO benchmark.Partnerships:
World Bank GPE project, IsDB, UNICEF, and EU fund infrastructure, teacher training, and feeding. National Education Conference 2025:
Brought together government, unions, and civil society to agree on a roadmap for 2030.The Ministry has also started digitizing payroll and EMIS data to reduce ghost teachers and improve planning.Reactions from Various Sectors in 2026Government:
MoBSE officials say “we have moved from access to quality.” The Minister in January 2026 stated that “no child should be out of school because of fees.” They point to new schools and feeding as evidence.Teachers’ Union, GTU:
The union welcomes infrastructure but says “teachers are the engine.” They are demanding a 40% salary increase, housing allowances, and faster promotion. A go-slow was threatened in late 2025.Parents and PTAs:
In West Coast Region, parents appreciate free tuition but complain about extra costs. “Government pays teachers, but we pay everything else,” says a PTA chair in Lamin.Civil Society:
TANGO and ActionAid praise gender gains and feeding, but criticize poor monitoring. “We build classrooms but forget toilets and water,” says an education officer in Basse.Students:
Senior secondary students in Banjul say STEM is good on paper but labs lack chemicals. University students protested in 2025 over delayed stipends and poor internet.International Partners:
UNICEF and World Bank note progress but warn that without addressing learning outcomes and teacher retention, SDG 4 will not be met by 2030.Private Schools and Madrassas:
They educate nearly 30% of students. Owners say they are over-regulated and under-supported, yet they absorb demand the state cannot.Regional Disparities The gap between urban and rural remains stark. In Greater Banjul and West Coast Region, schools have more resources, private options, and NGOs. In URR, CRR, and parts of NBR, schools lack science labs, qualified math teachers, and electricity. Girls in rural areas are more likely to drop out due to distance and early marriage.The government’s “One School, One Garden” initiative is trying to address nutrition and retention in rural areas, with mixed results.Looking Ahead:
Expectations to 2030 To meet Vision 2050 and SDG 4, several shifts are expected:Focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy:
MoBSE is piloting a “Teach at the Right Level” program in 50 schools in 2026.Teacher Welfare: A new scheme of service is being negotiated to improve pay and rural incentives.Skills and Jobs: Expansion of TVET and partnership with the private sector to create apprenticeships. The tourism sector is being asked to fund hospitality training.Digital Expansion: Target is 70% of secondary schools with internet by 2028.
But it depends on stable power and affordability.Financing:
Government plans to increase education spending to 15% by 2028. Domestic resource mobilization and grants will be key.Data and Accountability: A new school report card system will be public from 2026, so parents can compare performance.Conclusion The Gambia’s education story in 2026 is one of progress and persistent gaps. More children are in school. More girls are learning. New classrooms and policies exist. But a child in Kiang who cannot read in Grade 4, or a graduate in Banjul who cannot find work, shows that access alone is not enough.The shortfall is not lack of will. It is financing, teacher support, and linking school to livelihood. As one head teacher in Jarra said: “We have opened the door. Now we must make sure children learn when they enter, and have something to do when they leave.”If The Gambia can fix quality, fund teachers, and connect education to jobs, the next five years could turn enrollment gains into real transformation. If not, the risk is a generation that attended school but did not benefit from it.
Girls receive a midday meal under a tree as part of the WFP school feeding program. For many in the rural area, the meal is a key reason they attend school
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