Ministries of Basic and Secondary Education and Higher Education Research Science and Technology Education Sector Strategic Plan 2016 – 2030 Accessible, Equitable and Inclusive Quality Education for sustainable Development October 2017 1 Page intentionally left blank 2 Contents THE GAMBIA .................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Country Background ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Demographic Characteristics ................................................................................................................ 2 Linguistic Context and medium of instruction ...................................................................................... 3 Income and Social Characteristics ........................................................................................................ 3 Child Mortality ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Macro-Economic and Fiscal Framework ............................................................................................... 4 Sector Background .................................................................................................................................... 6 The Education system ........................................................................................................................... 6 Recent Developments and Challenges in the Sector ............................................................................ 9 Increasing Access to Education at all levels .......................................................................................... 9 Improving the Quality of Education .................................................................................................... 11 Evolution of enrollment ...................................................................................................................... 14 ECD ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 Enrollment Growth in the Formal Education System ......................................................................... 15 Lower Basic Education ........................................................................................................................ 16 Upper Basic Education ........................................................................................................................ 17 Senior Secondary Education ............................................................................................................... 18 Inequitable Access .............................................................................................................................. 20 Out-of-school and key factors behind low enrollment ....................................................................... 26 Factors that Affect Enrollment ............................................................................................................ 35 Gross Intake Rate (GIR) ....................................................................................................................... 36 Cross country Comparisons ................................................................................................................ 37 Internal efficiency ............................................................................................................................... 38 Quality of Education ............................................................................................................................... 40 Adult literacy learning outcomes ........................................................................................................ 40 Formal Education ................................................................................................................................ 40 EGRA and EGMA – ............................................................................................................................... 41 National Assessment Test (NAT) ......................................................................................................... 48 3 Post Primary Level Examinations ........................................................................................................ 51 Other Issues related to Quality ........................................................................................................... 57 Teaching and Learning Materials ........................................................................................................ 58 Qualified Teachers Provision and Support – ....................................................................................... 60 External Efficiency ............................................................................................................................... 67 Rate of returns on education .............................................................................................................. 72 Costs and Financings ............................................................................................................................... 75 Sources and trends of spending on education ................................................................................... 75 Budget allocation and execution ........................................................................................................ 77 Share of the Private sector in enrollment and expenditures.............................................................. 78 Unit cost analysis ................................................................................................................................ 82 Public-private partnership and role of households ............................................................................ 83 National and Sector Development Policies ............................................................................................. 86 National Development Policy.............................................................................................................. 86 Sector Policies and Priorities ............................................................................................................... 87 Guiding Principles and Vision of the 2016 – 2030 Plan ...................................................................... 87 Aims of Education ............................................................................................................................... 88 Partnership Support to the Sector ...................................................................................................... 90 Purpose Of the ESSP 2016 – 2030 ....................................................................................................... 90 Objective and Components................................................................................................................. 91 Strategic Plan Program Areas ............................................................................................................. 91 Implementation Schedule ................................................................................................................... 92 POLICY PRIORITIES .............................................................................................................................. 92 Program Area 2: Quality & Relevance .............................................................................................. 101 Life Skills Education Programme ....................................................................................................... 110 School Health and Nutrition Education ............................................................................................ 113 School Improvement Initiatives ........................................................................................................ 113 School Improvement Planning .......................................................................................................... 113 Monitoring and Supervision .............................................................................................................. 113 School Star Award Scheme ............................................................................................................... 114 After School Support Programme ..................................................................................................... 114 Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics Education (STEM) ................................................. 114 4 Information and Communications Technologies .............................................................................. 115 Educational Broadcasting Services (EBS) .......................................................................................... 116 Pre-Vocational & Technical and Vocational Education & Training ................................................... 116 Bilingual Education ............................................................................................................................ 117 Sport Education ................................................................................................................................. 118 Music Education ...............................................................................................................................