The information provided below was submitted as at 2020-06-08 17:36:04 by the Ministry of Higher Education Research Science and Technology 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 Higher Education Research Science and Technology |
| Education level handled by the Ministry | Tertiary Education, TVET |
| Number of Schools in Tertiary | 26 |
| Number of Schools in TVET | 88 |
| Does the Ministry have a COVID-19 response plan? | Yes |
| Objectives and Priorities of the COVID-19 response plan | Online classes is presently conducted by the University of The Gambia and few other Institutions. |
| Percentage estimate of Schools Closed | 90-100 |
| Percentage estimate of Schools Offering Distance/Virtual Education | 30-49 |
| Percentage estimate of Students who are currently receiving Virtual/Distance Education | 50-69 |
| Methods for the provision of Distance/Virtual Education | Interaction through WhatsApp/Telegram or other social messaging applications between students and teachers, Online lessons via public-private partnership led e-learning portal |
| Specific Innovations which are being implemented | Only the The University of the Gambia is offering distance learning at the moment, however, there are plans to extend this practice to other tertiary Institutions. |
| Partners which are supporting the Ministry of Education to respond to COVID-19 | ADEA, UNESCO, World Bank |
| 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 | In the short term online classes are implemented, later face to face examinations to be strategies for University students, and then final year students in other Institutions will be assisted to graduate, before a final opening of all Institutions, hopefully, in September 2020. |
| 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 | Availability of Virtual Learning Technology Hardware and Infrastructure, Availability of Virtual Learning Software and learning platform, Internet Connectivity to support deployment Virtual Learning platforms |
| Date Submitted | 08-06-2020 |
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.
