The information provided below was submitted as at 2020-05-12 14:48:58 by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education ( MoBSE) of Gambia in responding to the AU Survey of Member States on Education Sector Response to COVID-19. The information is solely for experience sharing purposes and not to be used for other purposes without express permission of the African Union Commission.
| Country | Gambia |
| Ministry | Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education ( MoBSE) |
| Education level handled by the Ministry | Pre-School, Primary, Secondary |
| Number of Schools in Pre-School | 1432 |
| Number of Schools in Primary | 1376 |
| Number of Schools in Secondary | 201 |
| Does the Ministry have a COVID-19 response plan? | Yes |
| Objectives and Priorities of the COVID-19 response plan | 1. To ensure that children and their families have access to relevant and timely information on COVID-19 to protect themselves from infection and to reduce the transmission rate within communities. 2. To ensure continuity of learning on a minimal curriculum delivery during the school closure and progressively expand the curriculum coverage using multiple curriculum delivery platforms in the medium to long terms. 3. To enhance recovery from the impact of COVID-19 on the education sector and improve the resilience of the sector to guarantee continuity of learning under any circumstance. 4. To ensure that students living in underprivileged family households are supported with basic food items. |
| Percentage estimate of Schools Closed | 90-100 |
| Percentage estimate of Schools Offering Distance/Virtual Education | 0-9 |
| Percentage estimate of Students who are currently receiving Virtual/Distance Education | 90-100 |
| Methods for the provision of Distance/Virtual Education | Interaction through WhatsApp/Telegram or other social messaging applications between students and teachers, Online lessons via government owned e-learning portal, Online lessons via public-private partnership led e-learning portal, TV, Radio |
| Specific Innovations which are being implemented | We have constituted a large stakeholder Education COVID 19 rapid response team to design strategies meant to meaningfully contained children at home but also help mitigate the impact of loss of contact time as a result of school closure |
| Partners which are supporting the Ministry of Education to respond to COVID-19 | Global Partnership for Education (GPE), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) , United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) , World Food Program (WFP). |
| Is there a plan for reopening schools? | Yes |
| Does the reopening plan include a back to School campaign? | Yes |
| Does the reopening plan include catch-up strategies for the school calendar and or curriculum? | Yes |
| Objectives and priorities of the plan to reopen Schools | Schools are fumigated and given all health related treatment before reopening to prevent the risk of contamination. Public engagement campaign to gain parents, teachers and students confidence and willingness to return to school. Ensure that learners are provided with accelerated engagement strategies to help cover the curriculum. |
| Is there a separate strategy/strategies for girls to catch up on their education due to the impact of COVID-19? | No |
| Challenges that have been encountered by the Ministry while responding to COVID-19 | Internet Connectivity to support deployment Virtual Learning platforms, Financing gaps |
| Date Submitted | 12-05-2020 |
If you are interested in contacting the Ministry for further information, please contect This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please note that any secondary use of this data is not allowed without seeking express permission of the African Union Commission.
