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Momodou
Denmark
11705 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Oct 2007 : 13:53:26
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FOCUS ON POLITICS
THE FIRST NATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE NOT A TALKING SHOP
With Suwaibou Touray
We have been focusing on politics in this column. We have traced the political history of The Gambia from Pre-colonial to Post- Independence era. The narration of events is meant to help our young people to know the past so as to understand the present in order to enable them shape the future. In the last issue we have dealt with the role of commissioners in the political campaign of the ruling party. We have stopped where we said the NCP and GPP decided to contest the BCC elections in an alliance.
Let us continue from where we have stopped.
Two issues of national and political significance occurred by the end of 1987, which are worth noting. This is the period when the 1st National Education Conference took place from the 21 to 26 September 1987. Interestingly enough, all political parties had been invited to this auspicious occasion, but only PDOIS participated actively.
Sidia Jatta and Halifa Sallah represented the PDOIS. The Economists from the Ministry of Economic Planning analyzed the economy and asserted that the major cause of our economic problems was drought and population increase.
The PDOIS delegates contributed immensely. They gave analysis of the economic situation and linked it to the problems and solutions of Education. This became a big shock to the Government because it culminated into a huge debate as to whether it was wise for the government to invite the PDOIS to the First National Conference on Education. There were others who felt that it was the noblest thing that the government had done to invite the PDOIS to such a National Conference because of its divergent views. The PDOIS however felt that their presence was indispensable. They emphasized that their presence was so important a factor that it made the National Conference on Education a Conference worth remembering. They argued that because of their participation, it pushed the conference beyond the level of what conferences usually were, i.e. talking shops, where delegates go to eat, drink and be merry and sing praises to government policy no matter how wrong they were.
What Issues Embarrassed Government?
The issues raised by the PDOIS delegates were described as a ‘Bombshell’ precisely because they raised issues and clarified them in such a bold manner that baffled almost everyone including the foreign delegates from UNESCO etc.
The PDOIS delegates contradicted the conclusion made by the economist from the Ministry of Economic Planning that the major cause of our economic problems was drought and population increase. The population of the Gambia at the time was approximately 850, 000 inhabitants.
The PDOIS delegates insisted that the primary reason why The Gambian economy was in that state of crisis was the fact that the PPP regime had been taking loans after loans without investing all these millions in the productive sectors of the economy. They argued that it had instead concentrated the wealth in few hands, which consequently stagnated the economy while the national debt was on the increase. The PDOIS delegates asserted that government was now taking millions from The Gambian people to pay interest on loans that had not benefited them in any significant way.
They drew the attention of the conference to the fact that government had currently spent over D137 million Dalasi to finance interest on loans, which was equivalent to almost half the national budget. They argued that this could have enabled government to build the necessary schools and equip them satisfactorily. The two delegates emphasized that whilst the conference may proceed to formulate an education policy that was worthy of the name for the year 2000, they should also simultaneously task themselves with what was inevitable and even more imperative, the building of a viable National economic base. This they argued would essentially be the source of strength, the fundamental pillars on which the education system must rest.
The PDOIS warned that unless the causes of our present economic crisis were given sufficient attention, the conference would end up making the people pay for the mismanagement of the economy by the present regime. The PDOIS delegates also warned against introducing a cost recovery scheme in education in the name of making it more accessible to the people, that was likely to lead to the scraping of the skinless backs of our already terribly impoverished people only to achieve the opposite of what was schemed.
According to Foroyaa, the representative from the Ministry of Economic Planning could not refute the contentious issues raised by the PDOIS delegates and at the end of the sessions the atmosphere became so tense that a European delegate remarked: “That was good. It was a bombshell”.
Foroyaa observed that at that stage, the organizers of the conference began to hand down what it called the “Thou Shalls” and ‘’Thou Shall nots” without inviting the participants to take part in plotting the way sessions were to be conducted. It was at this stage, observed the Foroyaa that the infamous ruling was made that presentations of papers would not be allowed to exceed twenty minutes even though those who had prepared papers were not given any time limitations while they were being invited to make resentations. They also limit contributions on the floor to only two minutes.
Foroyaa asked how on earth could the education system be subjected to the critical evaluation necessary in so short a time and how could planners “take into account the legitimate concerns and intimate convictions of the members of the general public” at the behest of the vice president when everything had to be rushed?
Foroyaa then concluded that it was very clear from the very beginning that the new sense of direction and purpose, which was to be given to education by taking into account the legitimate concerns and ultimate convictions of the public were going to be short-lived.
Other panelists stated that the purpose of Gambian education should be to “create a good society and a good life for all its members” Foroyaa however argued by asking “isn’t the material conditions; the way the society is organised responsible for the present attitudes and values of its citizens; that would it help a person much to be educated on how to be clean when one has to swim through muddy water daily? The paper asserted that education at the time only prepared a person to either be up or down; that it promotes elites on the one
hand and what it described as “squeeze outs” on the other.
The PDOIS delegates expressed their ardent conviction that it was beyond the capacity and outside of the plans of the PPP regime to build in their words “an egalitarian society” whatever that meant; that alluding to such egalitarian society would continue to remain an empty phrase. Interestingly enough, to the dismay of the
conference participants, the chairperson at this stage ordered the microphone to be switched off. Was it that the truth was becoming too bitter to swallow? Asked the foroyaa.
Sidia Jatta, one of the PDOIS leaders, could not deliver his paper on National languages. The organizers of the conference reduced the time frame for presentation of papers. Sidia was supposed to present a paper on adult literacy and national languages. While he got up to appeal for more time the organizers argued that there was no time; that all that they could allocate for him was five minutes, which they argued had in fact elapsed during the push and pull.
The outcome of the conference, not withstanding its relevance, can be summed up as follows; middle schools were introduced for the first time in the school system which had caused anxiety among the parents.
According to President Jawara, in his address to Parliament,he stressed that they must make every effort and seek to allay parental concerns about the nature and evolution of the middle schools. The rationale behind the arrangement of locating middle schools in high schools was said to be a temporary measure designed to maximize the use of available space in order to prevent any reduction in the transition rate, which stood at 43.8% in the year 1990. The next thing was to expand the existing facilities and the building of more middle schools. Where would the money come from? The EDF provided D7.7 million dalasis and the European Union provided D4.5 million dalasis for rehabilitation work, which was supposed to be completed by December 1993. According to President Jawara, textbooks rental scheme had been established to ensure availability at a fee that was deemed affordable.
The second most important thing that occurred during the period was that the Workers Union paid a courtesy call on the president thanking him for helping to re-register the union. Foroyaa quoted Section 23 of the constitution which gave Gambians the right to form unions and asked, why must any person be thanked for the registration of a union?
According to Foroyaa the union assured the president of their support for the ERP, which had led to the retrenchment of thousands of workers, even though the same government has accepted to pay 72 million Dalasis being loan given to private Gambians, which could have provided jobs for the workers.
Foroyaa opined that Trade unions came into being to defend the interest of workers. With trade unions that support the ERP, the Gambia Workers should now turn to political parties like PDOIS, which is working for viable political change for salvation. It added that Unions now seem to benefit only union leaders.
This was the time Mr. Araba Bah replaced the late Mr. M.E Jallow as leader of the Gambia Workers Union and was subsequently appointed by the president as a nominated member to the House of Parliament. Would he genuinely represent workers or would he represent the president’s interest, even where it conflicts with the workers interest? This became the question of the day.
See next edition of Focus as we wrap up the narration of events for the historic year ,1987.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 123/2007, 19 – 21 October 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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