Africa-Press – Gambia. The Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), Honourable Dr. Habibatou Drammeh, on Monday, 4th August 2025, presided over the opening ceremony of the Foundational Learning Retreat on Structured Pedagogy at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo.
The five-day retreat, which commenced on August 4 and runs through Friday, August 8, is focused on advancing foundational learning through the development and implementation of a structured pedagogy approach, particularly in teaching literacy and numeracy at the early stages of education.
Delivering her keynote address, Minister Drammeh underscored the transformative power of education, declaring it “the key to change” in building a more equitable and prosperous society. She emphasized that the retreat was not simply a technical meeting, but a united effort to reimagine how children in The Gambia are taught at the foundational level.
“The retreat is more than a gathering of professionals, “a solemn commitment, a shared pledge by the Ministry, our partners, and stakeholders to transform the way our children learn.”
She emphasized that literacy and numeracy are not just academic subjects but essential life skills. “They are the keys that unlock educational success, economic opportunity, and active participation in society,” she said.
Quoting Nelson Mandela, she reminded the audience that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” stressing that the retreat was not merely about policy dialogue but about charting a course that empowers children to shape their own futures.
Minister Drammeh also cited alarming statistics from UNESCO, noting that 617 million children and adolescents globally are unable to read or perform basic math. “This staggering figure is a call to action,” she declared, urging participants to confront the reality that many children continue to struggle with foundational skills, a situation that not only stifles individual potential but also impedes national development.
She called for a refinement of teaching methodologies to ensure every child, regardless of background, can build a strong foundation in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
She expressed confidence in the collaborative effort involving MoBSE, Learning Masterminds (a third-party implementing partner), and key development partners, including the World Bank, UNICEF, Effective Intervention, and others, to develop a structured pedagogy strategy tailored to The Gambia’s specific context.
Also speaking at the opening, Ms. Nafisa Binte Shafique, UNICEF Country Representative in The Gambia, commended MoBSE for convening the retreat, describing the initiative as both “timely and commendable.”
She noted that structured pedagogy has shown promising results in improving foundational learning outcomes globally and praised the Ministry’s proactive approach in aligning interventions for early learning. She highlighted ongoing MoBSE-led initiatives such as the Zero Out of School Project, GCOL, and the MEISS Program as examples of strong groundwork for scaling up structured pedagogy.
Ms. Shafique reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting MoBSE in developing an inclusive, equity-focused strategy that reaches the most vulnerable learners, including Majalis children, children with disabilities, and efforts to close gender gaps in education.
Other speakers at the ceremony included Louis Moses Mendy, Permanent Secretary at MoBSE; Jason Weaver, representative from the World Bank; and Adama Jimba Jobe Deputy Permanent Secretary at MoBSE.
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