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Dalton1
3485 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Apr 2008 : 19:33:49
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http://www.gainako.com/
By Solo, Banjul correspondent
As the world thinks about the Global Week of Action, which
commenced on 21st April in the Gambia and around the world
organized by Education for all network {EFANet}, this reporter
went around checking what some of the children are doing at the
moment.
When I first got on the road, I noticed a very small boy, about
the age of 11 years in a passenger van acting as an apprentice
driver, shouting Banjul! Banjul!! I decided to join that vehicle
up to Banjul, the Gambian capital.
This small boy managed to give back the change of all those
who gave him higher denominations than the required fee. He
is a very smart guy. As I dropped at the garage in Banjul,
another young man came rushing to their vehicle who started
shouting "ayi waa" Tabokoto! Ayi waa tabookoto!!. Then I
saw the apprentice boy stood aside. So I capitalized on his
free time and interviewed him thus; what is your name, I asked.
Alfusainy, he responded. Where are your parents? I asked
again. They are all at home he fumed.
When I asked Alfusainy whether he would want to go to school, he looked at me with an unusual look
and with shyness said, yes. So why did your father not send you to school then? I again asked. My
father wants me to go to the Darra{ koranic school}. So why are you not in Koranic School then?
But before he could answer, his adult driver called on top of his voice saying Alfusainy lets go!. Off
Alfusainy went.
So I had to look for another boy like him. They were many but whomever I go to was seen busy
trying to attract clients to his vehicle bound for Tabookoto or Serrekunda. However this reporter
decided to drop at the Buffer Zone the other day and found several children playing football in the
early morning at about 9.30am. I stopped three of them and insist that they must tell me why they have
not gone to school. They might have thought that I was going to punish them or something. So when I
asked why they did not go to school, which was easy for them; they simultaneously replied instantly.
One said he was going to afternoon classes. The other said he was not going to school and third said
he was driven from school because of school fees.
As I moved on I spotted a motor mechanic workshop and saw some small boys jointly dragging an
iron that appeared heavy for them. They are all between the ages of 10 and 14 years. I decided to
speak to their chief mechanic who is named Mbye. I asked him if the kids were his own kids. He
answered in the negative. He said they are all brought there by their parents. Asked about his own
kids, Mr. Mbye said he left them at Kaolack, Senegal. Asked also what his children are doing in
Kaolack, Mr. Mbye said they are all going to school. I decided to ask Mbye his opinion on whether
he prefers children to go to school first or to start learning skills, Mr. Mbye opined that kids should
first go to school but argued that some parents prefer skills training than education which they think is
a waste of time and resources.
So as I moved about I could see children all over the place doing all sorts of things whilst others go to
school. This reporter also noticed that many schools especially in the provinces do not have enough
teachers and if they do, they do not have sufficient qualified teachers and teaching aids are almost
none existent in many schools. This is why the theme for this year's campaign "End Exclusion Now" is
very apt. The question however remains as to how the theme could be achieved in a developing
country like the Gambia.
This reporter looked at the Gambia's annual budget for Education, about 65 million Dalasi for the
2007-2008 academic year and discovered that the amount earmarked for education is far less than
what is allocated for the president's office, 150 million dalasi, and concluded that if the cry of the
campaigners is to heard then government has to recognize and give priority to the education sector
that would greatly complement the contribution of the UNICEF and other donor agencies. This
reporter also observed that if the state reduces its exorbitant expenditure on non-priority areas and
supplement it on education, it would go a long way to alleviate the many huddles placed on the path of
the department of education.
It is estimated that over 200, 000 children are out of official school system in the Gambia and over 72
million children are out of school worldwide.
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"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:
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