Gambia’s youth education faces challenges such as low learning outcomes, access disparities, gender inequality, and significant poverty impacts. With 41% of youths lacking formal education and only 7% achieving tertiary levels, initiatives like the national TVET Roadmap are being developed to improve training quality and align educational outcomes with employment needs.
In Gambia, the youth education landscape is marked by significant challenges. Currently, 41% of young individuals have not attained formal education or have completed only primary education. Half of the youth have achieved secondary education, while tertiary-educated youths comprise a mere 7% of the youth population. The Gambian education system follows the British model, encompassing Early Childhood Development, Basic Education, Secondary Education, and Tertiary Education, with an official school start age of seven years.
Despite the expansion efforts within the education sector, low learning outcomes persist, necessitating strategic partnerships to foster effective learning environments. Access disparities arise notably between urban and rural areas, contributing to lower literacy rates in rural regions. Additionally, gender disparities prevail, particularly as social norms often prioritize marriage for girls over their education and encourage boys to seek employment abroad.
Poverty significantly influences both literacy rates and educational achievements in Gambia. Furthermore, the population aged 15 to 24 years lacks adequate ICT skills. Completion rates highlight substantial attrition, with only 88% finishing primary school, 65% completing upper basic education, and 47% attaining senior secondary education. Children with disabilities face additional barriers stemming from social norms and structural challenges.
The Gambian landscape mirrors that of many developing countries, facing hurdles in youth engagement and the competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). SMEs frequently encounter difficulties in sourcing skilled employees necessary for competitiveness. Accordingly, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) emerges as vital for economic advancement, equipping citizens with essential skills to enhance industrial productivity and improve youth employment prospects.
To bridge the gap between young individuals and SMEs, the Gambian Government emphasizes TVET as a central intermediary, devising a national TVET Roadmap. It aims to bolster youth employment and SME competitiveness by ensuring consistent training quality, aligning courses with employer demands, and enhancing educational access in rural areas. The roadmap is built upon a thorough assessment of the TVET and apprenticeship frameworks, supported by requisite policy and regulatory guidelines to drive coordinated action at both regional and national levels.
In summary, Gambia’s education system faces numerous challenges that hinder youth development and employment opportunities. Significant disparities in educational attainment, access issues, and social norms contribute to the difficulties faced by the youth population. The government is proactively addressing these issues through the implementation of a national TVET Roadmap designed to enhance training quality and align educational outcomes with labor market needs, ultimately aiming to foster economic growth and increase youth competitiveness.
Original Source: thepoint.gm
