Blog Layout
Our educational system - Amadou
AMADOU DARBOE, TAHIR AHMADIYYA SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, THE GAMBIA
Education is one of the greatest tools which can be used by an individual to change the living situation.
Unfortunately, most people, especially children, do not have this opportunity. The question is who can provide such opportunities to those who are disadvantaged? Poverty, religious and traditional beliefs contribute immensely to the denial of the right to education for children.
One of the greatest obstacles to education in The Gambia is poverty. Many families in The Gambia cannot afford to pay for their children’s education, including school fees, uniforms, and books. As a result, many children drop out of school, or never enrol in the first place.
Poverty also means that families are often forced to prioritise other basic needs, such as food and shelter, over education. This can perpetuate the cycle of poverty, as education is one of the most effective ways to break out of poverty.
Another hindrance to education in The Gambia is religious beliefs. As the greater number of Gambians are Muslim, some parents decide to take their children to the local Islamic centres which are mostly poorly managed.
Some children are denied the right to education which is a fundamental right for them. Traditionally, most people believe that girls’ education is not important, and as such they are either denied enrolment in school or withdrawn from school.
Despite efforts that are made to promote girls’ education, the gap remains. Child marriage for instance, has led to many girls being denied the right to education especially in provincial Gambia. This continues to pose an actual threat to the wellbeing of girls’ development as well as women’s empowerment. There is dire need for proactive steps to be taken to address this issue.
There are no proper mechanisms put in place for the differently abled. The structures in schools are not conductive for the wellbeing and inclusion of the differently abled. Therefore, this is structural discrimination against them. Even the way classrooms are built is not in line with good approaches.
In conclusion, the challenges facing The Gambia’s education sector are significant, urgent action is needed to address them, especially in the rural areas.
It is crucial that all stakeholders, including the government, private sector, and civil society, work together to ensure that very child has access to quality education. Only then can The Gambia build a brighter and more prosperous future for all its citizens.
AMADOU DARBOE • September 18, 2023
The outlook for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) on global education is far from rosy. But a gloomy future isn’t inevitable. Disappointing statistics are the result of political choices that can be shifted and there are thousands of youth, grassroots activists and civil society organisations across the UK advocating for global education to make these changes. We need more people involved to build the momentum, we need to make a difference in challenging circumstances. You can help! Here’s how; Making global education a UK priority The UK is an important donor and champion for global education. However, education has been gradually deprioritised on the development agenda. Global education spending has plummeted from 13.5% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2013 to just 3.5% in 2023, and education was one of the sectors hit hardest by the abandonment of the 0.7% gross national income (GNI) target for ODA. With Labour’s annual budget confirming another reduction in the aid budget, funding for global education is under threat of being cut even further unless we stand together to say this can’t happen. While education is a domestic priority for the new Government, it has yet to emerge as a strong theme in their development agenda. As the Labour Party continues to develop their approach there is a unique opportunity for advocates to connect these dots and make the case for why education must be a key part of the Government’s international plans. For the Government to take action it needs to hear demand for change. There are many issues MPs recognise are important, but if they do not hear about these issues from constituents it can be hard for MPs to be vocal about them in Parliament. Following an election where many parliamentary seats were won with tight margins, MPs need to hear from the people they represent that global education must be on their agenda. With over half of MPs elected for the first time this year, many are actively looking for a steer on what issues to work on. We can give them one! How to Get Involved Write to your MP about why global education needs to be a bigger priority for the UK Government and encourage members of groups you are a part of, such as your union branch or a local community group, to do the same. This can have a real impact on your MP’s interest and ability to act for global education. You can also connect with other grassroots activists and get resources for taking action from international development advocacy organisations like Results UK. You can learn more about Results UK’s grassroots network on our website. If you are a teacher, get your school involved in the Send My Friend to School Campaign (SMF). Send My Friend is a UK civil society coalition advocating for SDG4 which supports a mass UK schools campaign to amplify student voices calling for universal quality education in solidarity with their peers around the world. Free campaign packs are available on the SMF website for primary and secondary levels with everything teachers need to run the campaign in their school. Parliamentarians can learn more about education issues and how to act by joining the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education, a cross-party group that brings together Parliamentarians interested in the right to education and provides them with knowledge and resources to be champions of the issue. By joining our voices through collective action, we can make a real difference in moving the needle on this issue. Together we have a chance to rechart the course for the realisation of quality education for all. BIOGRAPHY Hannah Frisch is the Senior Policy and Parliamentary Advocacy Officer for Education at Results UK and a Co-Chair of the Send My Friend to School Policy and Parliamentary Working Group. She is a policy advisor for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Education in the UK Parliament.
Last year the Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the work of The Federation of Drama Schools by providing financial aid to new graduates, enabling them to take part in an industry showcase at The Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The showcase is an annual event for Irish graduates who have completed a professional training at one of the Federation’s partner conservatoires in the UK, introducing young actors to the industry they hope to work in. The Federation of Drama Schools partners are institutions that provide conservatoire vocational training for those who want to be professional performers, theatre makers and technical theatre practitioners. The courses they offer are for students of eighteen years and over, who have completed their school level education. In November (2024) fourteen young Irish graduates took part in the showcase and the SSF provided financial support to two graduates who may not otherwise have been able to take part in this showcase, which is a bridge between training and their professional career. Melanie Lavery from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is one of those who benefitted from this support. Melanie writes of her experience. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Steve Sinnott Foundation for the support I received, making it possible for me to take part in the Dublin Showcase 2024. The opportunity allowed me to work with graduates from across FDS schools and widen my contacts in the industry. Coming from a socio-economically deprived area, I’ve often missed out on opportunities available to my peers. I have had to spend a lot of energy during my three years in drama school working to support myself and this has meant I often don’t have time to follow up network opportunities. In receiving this sponsorship and taking part in the showcase I have been able to connect with other Irish creatives - the people I am acting opposite, directors, casting directors and agents in the industry. These industry showcases are so important for graduates. It gives us the possibility of networking with industry professionals and hopefully the opportunity of taking that first crucial step into the profession we have trained for. As I studied in Wales, it gave me the chance to return to Ireland and to reach out to creatives there. The Foundation gave me this amazing opportunity to kick start my career in my home country. On the day of the showcase, I had such pride watching my fellow Irish peers performing on stage at Ireland’s National Theatre. Working together throughout the rehearsal period, I got to know them individually and we all helped each other to grow as performers. This showcase has helped me to create my own community of actors around me. When it came to talking with other creatives after the show case, I became so much more aware of how large and welcoming the industry is in Ireland and how much work is being produced here. I think this show case is so important as it highlights how vibrant and growing the industry is in Ireland. I feel so lucky that I was able to take part thanks to the help of the Steve Sinnott Foundation. For more information on the Federation of Drama Schools, professional industry showcases, and it’s partner schools please visit www.federationofdramaschools.co.uk
Since 2015 we have developed and supported self-help groups for caregivers of children with disabilities in a rural part of Kenya. Currently we have 12 self-help groups with a membership of around 135. Through their participation in the self-help groups, the caregivers are empowered to take control of their lives by speaking up, supporting each other and acting to bring about positive changes. An extension of university-based research and development, we registered our work on self-help groups with the UK Charity Commission in August 2023. Our in-country partner is Walezi Foundation- a non-government funded organisation. The aim is to further develop the potential of selfhelp groups in Kilifi County, one of the poorest areas in Kenya, and to grow the number of groups supported. Long-term caregiving has been associated with fatigue, distress and poverty. Many feel helpless in the face of such challenges and very much alone. A combination of superstition, stigma and discrimination marginalises these families. Not only can these children be excluded from education, employment and contact with other villagers, the level of stigma is such that the caregiver’s shame may lead them to deny their child’s existence. This creates social isolation for both the caregiver and the child. In the beginning we listened to what people told us about their lived experiences: “People at home have very little to do with the child. The child is lonely most of the time and there is little assistance from family members and the community.” What do the self-help groups do? The self-help group members meet regularly. They share their experiences as caregivers and provide support for each other. Our partner NGO – Walezi Foundation – visits all the groups at regular intervals. The caregivers are supported to talk about: their personal situation and consider ways to support each other in the group; the inclusion of persons with disabilities in home and community events; encouraging more positive attitudes towards disability in the community; the importance of accessing education and health services; and practical solutions to relieve the challenges faced by them all in everyday life. Working together they register formally as a self-help group with the Kenyan government department of Social Development and embark on livelihood activities to alleviate their financial challenges. Since 2023 we have provided start-up funds for capital projects to expand the financial capacity of each group. Some of the projects that have been started include: livestock rearing, hiring large tents and chairs for community events and building a water tower for storing and selling water. Through this work we have shown that membership of a self-help group can bring about dramatic changes to the caregivers’ lives and those of their children with disabilities, including: development of essential skills for livelihood activities; growth in family income; increased social support; better access to health for all; more children with disabilities in education. Over the next three years we aim to expand our coverage of community-based self-help groups in Kilifi County, Kenya and roll out our mentorship scheme across other African countries. If you want to find out more about our work, please go to our website: www.walezi-caregivers-kenya.org
Lord Lieutenants Charity HubWarner Brothers StudiosSuite 23, Building 6, Hercules Way,LeavesdenWD25 7GS
Learn More
0208 013 9616
Sign Up To Our Newsletter
Charity Commission England 1130814
Charity Commission Scotland SCO46031