Gambia’s Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) Claudiana Cole has appeared before the National Assembly to advance reasons for extending school days from Monday to Saturday.
Cole was at the parliament to make clarifications in response to a query raised by the Member for Bakau, Assan Touray.
Touray had requested the Minister to inform Members on the modalities in place to support learning activities in bigger schools, saying students have resumed in the midst of a pandemic with school days stretched from Monday to Saturday.
Fatomatta Njai, the Member for Banjul South asked the Minister whether the Covid-19 protocols are being observed and how they are monitoring and implementing the COVID restriction.
In her submission, Cole informed the lawmakers that Ministry has developed modalities to guarantee learning during the pandemic. She said the models are tailored to suit the needs of schools with a target of achieving 200 days on the school annual calendar. She however said the modalities are not “one size fits all”; that based on simulation, only 23 Schools across the country were expected to alternate.
Cole also explained reasons for stretching School days from Monday to Saturday for Primary Schools and for all categories of Schools as well. Pointing out that the arrangements were for the short and medium term, learning will be regularised as soon as possible.