PS Mendy Urges Gambians to Support Basic Education

The Permanent Secretary (PS) at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE) has called on Gambians to support basic education especially in this trying time of Covid-19.

Louis Moses Mendy was speaking on Friday at a Bantaba forum organised by the Ministry in partnership with its stakeholders with the aim to inform the public about the state of preparedness of the upcoming exam for the grade 9 students across the six educational regions in the country. He notified parents of the Ministry’s efforts to provide Covid-19 basic needs for each student in grade 9, teachers and others.

“I am calling on all Gambians and non-Gambians alike in and outside the country to do whatever they can in order to defeat Covid-19 in our schools and make a year of academic success in both our internal and external examinations ahead,” he remarked.

He thanked the Ministry of Health, Regional Education Directors, MOBSE’s stakeholders, teachers and school authorities for supporting the education sector for safe reopening of grade 9 classes. According to PS Mendy, in addition to Ministry of Health and WHO guidelines on Covid-19, MoBSE has partnered with the school authorities to develop set of guidelines for teachers and students during school contact hours.

He expressed satisfaction with the progress in the schools; especially at Kanifing Upper Basic School, which he said came up with their own Covid-19 guidelines.

Director of Health Promotion at the Ministry of Health, Modou Njai expressed satisfaction at the way school authorities are observing the Covid-19 guidelines in their institutions, and assured of his ministry’s commitment to continue to monitor the implementation of the covid-19 guidelines in schools.

“We are also calling on private organisations, individuals and others to come forward and give support to school authorities with Covid-19 Personal Protection Equipment,” Njai appealed.

 

By Lamin B Darboe, Information Officer, MoBSE