By Mariatou Ngum and Abdou Mbye
His Excellency Mohammed B.S. Jallow, Vice President of The Gambia, on Wednesday, 19 August, received a delegation from the Teaching Legacy Summit at his office at State House in Banjul, as organisers seek stronger collaboration and support for the country’s first major summit dedicated to Gambian educators.
The courtesy call provided an opportunity for the delegation to present the vision, objectives and expected outcomes of the Teaching Legacy Summit, an initiative founded in 2026 to create a platform for teachers to dialogue, network, share knowledge and develop practical solutions to challenges confronting The Gambia’s education system.
Speaking after the meeting, Teaching Legacy Summit Founder Rohey L. Ceesay said the delegation’s engagement with the Vice President was primarily aimed at introducing the initiative and exploring how his office could support the upcoming summit. She said the summit is expected to bring together more than 500 teachers, alongside education experts and other key stakeholders, for meaningful discussions on improving teaching and learning in The Gambia. According to Ceesay, the initiative is closely aligned with national education development priorities and is designed to complement ongoing government efforts to strengthen the country’s education system.
She described the Vice President’s response to the initiative as “very encouraging,” noting that his background as a former educator made his involvement particularly significant. Ceesay said the Teaching Legacy Summit was inspired by her personal experiences participating in various seminars and international summits, where discussions often centred on areas such as youth entrepreneurship and other development themes. She explained that these experiences prompted her to consider what meaningful contribution she could make to the education sector, eventually leading to the creation of a platform specifically focused on empowering Gambian educators.
“I believe The Gambia deserves a world-class education system,” Ceesay said, stressing that teachers must be placed at the centre of conversations about education reform. The summit will focus on equipping teachers with practical knowledge and skills to improve classroom management, strengthen relationships with learners and develop innovative approaches to teaching.
It will also seek to connect Gambian educators with education experts and practitioners from around the world, creating opportunities for professional development, knowledge exchange, mentorship and networking.
Ceesay emphasised that Gambian teachers possess significant knowledge and innovative ideas that could contribute to addressing some of the challenges facing the education sector, but often lack platforms where those ideas can be shared and developed. She said the Teaching Legacy Summit intends to bridge that gap by creating an environment where educators can openly discuss challenges while placing greater emphasis on solutions.
“We have always been talking about excuses, and if The Gambia really needs a world-class education system, we should talk about the solutions instead,” she remarked. The founder further called on stakeholders in the education sector to support the initiative, describing it as an opportunity to bring different actors together around a shared vision for a stronger education system. She also urged the Government of The Gambia, from the Office of the President and Vice President to relevant education authorities, to support and endorse the summit.
According to Ceesay, the initiative is not intended to duplicate the work of government, but rather to complement existing national efforts and create additional opportunities for educators to contribute to education reform. She appealed to Gambians to place greater emphasis on education, arguing that sustainable national development cannot be achieved without quality education. ”
Whatever development that we are crying for, without quality education it is going to be really paralysed,” she cautioned. Ceesay also encouraged teachers across the country to take advantage of the summit, describing it as an opportunity to have their voices heard, build professional networks and become active contributors to the transformation of The Gambia’s education system. She further extended an invitation to students aspiring to join the teaching profession, describing teaching as a professional and noble career.
The Teaching Legacy Summit ultimately seeks to establish a national platform where educators can connect, learn, innovate and collectively develop practical solutions for a more responsive, inclusive and world-class education system. With more than 500 educators expected to participate, the summit is poised to place teachers at the heart of the national conversation on education and reinforce the message that transforming The Gambia’s future begins with investing in those who educate it.
