Overview of the Country
Background:
Official name: Republic of The Gambia 1
Capital: Banjul 1
Location: Western Africa 1
Official language: English 1
Population: 2,773,168 2
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): US$ 2.34 Billion (2023) 3
GNI per capita, PPP (current international $): US$ 3,120 (2023) 4
Membership of Regional Economic Communities (RECs):
Additional Resources:
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Education Policy Objectives, Governance, and Structure
The priority areas include: 1
- Access to education
- Quality education
- Vocational and technical education
- Tertiary and higher education
The objectives of the Education sector policy include :
- Increase the basic education gross enrolment rate to 118% by 2030 including enrolment in Madrassas;
- Increase the completion rates in basic education to 100% by 2030;
- Increase the supply of trained teachers and make more efficient use of the teaching force by maintaining the pupil/teacher ratio at 45:1 at the basic level;
- Maintain double shift of classrooms at 36% by 2030 across all levels;
- Phase-out double-shift teachers by 2030;
- Maintain multi-grade teaching in a combined class size not exceeding 40;
- Maintain the share of enrolment of girls to 50% of total enrolment at the levels of basic and secondary education;
- Improve the quality of teaching and learning at all levels;
- Improve learning outcomes at all levels - at least 80% of students will attain minimum grade competencies by 2030;
- Increase the gross enrolment ratio of Early Childhood to 75% especially in the rural areas by 2030;
- Increase access, for adults and out-of-school youth, to functional literacy and numeracy programmes to half the illiterate population by 2030;
- Provide marketable and social skills to enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life;
- Strengthen the teaching of the five most used languages – Wollof, Pulaar, Mandinka, Jola and Sarahule to be taught at the basic, senior secondary, tertiary, and higher education levels as subjects. Explore the possibility of including Serere and Manjago;
- Increase the transition rate from grade 9 to 10 to a minimum of 70%;
- Increase the quota of graduate teachers of Gambian nationality at the level of senior secondary from 66% to 95% by 2030;
- Strengthen the institutional and management capacity of the TVET system;
- Establish a sound financial basis for the long-term development and sustainability of TVET;
- Increase cost sharing and cost recovery at post-secondary training institutions;
- Develop and strengthen public-private partnership in the financing of higher education; and
- Improve organizational structure of the sector for efficient and effective service delivery.
Governance Structure for Education:
- Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education: responsible for overseeing basic education (Lower Basic, Upper Basic, and Secondary schools), including curriculum development, teacher training, and general school management
- Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology: responsible for policy development and the management and coordination of programmes and activities relating to higher education, research, science, and technology as well as technical and vocational education and training.
- National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority oversees licensing, accreditation, quality assurance, policy development, research, and collaboration for tertiary and higher education institutions, including trainers, assessors, and verifiers, while also maintaining national qualifications frameworks and ensuring continuous quality improvement and stakeholder involvement.
Education System Structure: 1
- The education system in The Gambia follows a 6-3-3-4 structure:
- Lower Basic Education (LBE): 6 years, starting at age 7 (Grades 1-6).
- Upper Basic Education (UBE): 3 years, covering Grades 7-9, forming the second part of basic education.
- Senior Secondary Education (SSE): 3 years, covering Grades 10-12.
- Tertiary and Higher Education: typically, 4 years or more, depending on the program and institution.
Additional Resources:
- Ministries of Basic and Secondary Education and Higher Education Research Science and Technology. (2017). The Gambia Education sector strategic plan 2016-2030 : Accessible, Equitable and Inclusive Quality Education for sustainable Development
- UIS Country Profile for Gambia
Sources:
Access and Participation
| School age population (2023) 1 | Gros enrolment ratio 1 | Completion rate (2020) 2 | Out-of-school rate (2021) 2 | |
| Pre-primary | 323,292 | No data found | N/A | N/A |
| Primary | 456,613 | 93.75% (2023) | 63.77% | 23.33% |
| Lower secondary | 204,818 | 61.88% (2021) | 48.64% | 25.40% |
| Upper secondary | 184,914 | 145.79% (2021) | 28.80% | 48.59% |
Additional Resources:
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Learning Outcomes
Learning achievement in reading, mathematics and science (Early grades): 1
| Reading (PIRLS) | Mathematics (TIMSS) | Science (TIMSS) | |
| In grades 2/3 | No data found | No data found | 43% (2015) |
| At the end of primary | No data found | No data found | 23% (2015) |
| At the end of lower secondary | No data found | No data found | 8% (2015) |
Learning achievement in reading (Early grades): 1
- Low proficiency, MICS, 2019 (Overall average): 9%
Learning achievement in reading (End of primary): 1
- rlevel1_lowsec, MICS, 2019 (Overall average): 31%
Learning achievement in mathematics (Early grades): 1
- Low proficiency, MICS, 2019 (Overall average): 6%
Learning achievement in mathematics (End of primary): 1
- Low proficiency, MICS, 2019 (Overall average): 29%
Additional Resources:
- Sheet Learning assessments in Gambia (2021)
- UNESCO IIEP (2020) The Use of learning assessment data: The Gambia
Sources:
Teaching
Percentage of qualified teachers according to the national standards (2021): 1
| Qualified teachers 1 | Trained teachers 1 | |
| Pre-primary | 74.59% | x |
| Primary | 87.60% | x |
| Lower secondary | 68.52% | x |
| Upper secondary | 80.15% | x |
Percentage of trained teaching staff by qualification in Early Childhood Development (2019): 2
| Qualified teachers 1 | Trained teachers 1 | |
| Government | x | 93.2% |
| Government-Aided | x | 54.7% |
| Private-Conv | x | 70.8% |
| Madrassa | 44.2% | x |
Percentage of trained teaching staff by qualification in Lower in Lower Basic Education (2019): 3
| Qualified teachers 1 | Trained teachers 1 | |
| Government | x | 90% |
| Government-Aided | x | 71% |
| Private-Conv | x | 77% |
| Madrassa | x | 49% |
Percentage of trained teaching staff by qualification in Upper Basic Education (2019): 4
| Qualified teachers 1 | Trained teachers 1 | |
| Government | x | 93% |
| Government-Aided | x | 88% |
| Private-Conv | x | 89% |
| Madrassa | x | 58% |
Percentage of trained teaching staff by qualification in Senior Education (2019): 5
| Qualified teachers 1 | Trained teachers 1 | |
| Government | 96% | x |
| Government-Aided | 90% | x |
| Private-Conv | 94% | x |
| Madrassa | 95% | x |
Sources:
School Facilities
School infrastructure and facilities:
| Electricity 1 | Single‐sex basic sanitation facilities 1 | |
| Primary | 39.54% | 84.17% (2018) |
| Lower Secondary | 57.82% | 85.96% (2017) |
| Upper Secondary | 66.67% | 66.14% (2018) |
Lower Basic Education (LBE) – Physical & Other Facilities (2019): 2
| Government 1 | Grant-Aided 1 | Private-Conv | Madrassa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LBE-Total Schools | 445 | 30 | 182 | 204 |
| Fenced | 58% | 37% | 22% | 7% |
| With Safe Drinking Water | 5% | 17% | 16% | 1% |
| With adequate separate toilets | 95% | 97% | 91% | 91% |
| Schools having electricity | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Schools having electricity | 19% | 63% | 78% | 19% |
| Schools having computer lab | 61% | 73% | 62% | 8% |
Upper Basic Education (UBE)- Physical & Other Facilities: 3
| Government 1 | Grant-Aided 1 | Private-Conv | Madrassa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UBE-Total Schools | 182 | 38 | 86 | 175 |
| Fenced | 48% | 14% | 22% | 22% |
| With Safe Drinking Water | 32% | 45% | 16% | 2% |
| With adequate separate toilets | 94% | 97% | 91% | 95% |
| Schools having electricity | 32% | 90% | 0% | 46% |
| Schools having computer lab | 88% | 71% | 83% | 25% |
Senior Secondary Education (UBE)- Physical & Other Facilities: 4
| Government 1 | Grant-Aided 1 | Private-Conv | Madrassa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Schools | 64 | 44 | 35 | 50 |
| Fenced | 8% | 9% | 14% | 24% |
| With Safe Drinking Water | 55% | 84% | 80% | 14% |
| With adequate separate toilets | 41% | 86% | 80% | 64% |
| Schools having electricity | 91% | 100% | 91% | 96% |
| Schools having electricity | 36% | 86% | 77% | 60% |
| Schools having computer lab | 95% | 100% | 94% | 98% |
Additional Resources:
- For more information on coverage of the learning environment, including: basic handwashing facilities, and basic drinking water: UNESCO Institute for Statistics country profile
Sources:
Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and Higher Education
| Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months 1 | Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education 1 | Share of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) 2 | Gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education 2 | ||
| 15-64 years old | 15-24 years old | ||||
| Both sexes | 16.57% (2023) | 38.70% (2023) | No data found | 39.8% (2023) | 2.66% (2012) |
| Male | 15.78% | 34.74% | No data found | 41% | 3.14% |
| Female | 17.25% | 42.27% | No data found | 38.8% | 2.19% |
| Number of people 15-35 years old 3 | Percentage | |
| Employed | 490,941 | 52.0% |
| Unemployed | 28,601 | 3.0% |
| Inactive | 251,370 | 26.6% |
| Student | 173,023 | 18.3% |
| Total |
Total number of accredited Higher Education institutions: 84 4
Additional Resources:
- UNEVOC TVET Country Profile
- ADEA Continental Mapping of HESR (upcoming)
Sources:
Equity and Inclusion
| Gender Parity Index (GPI) Gross enrolment ratio 1 | Adjusted Gender Parity Index (GPIA) Gross enrolment ratio 2 | Proportion of schools with adapted infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities 2 | |
| Primary | 1.13 (2023) | N/A | No data found |
| Lower secondary | 1.17 (2021) | N/A | No data found |
| Upper secondary | 1.15 (2021) | N/A | No data found |
| Tertiary | N/A | 0.70 (2012) | N/A |
Additional Resources:
- Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare
- The African Union International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa (AU/CIEFFA)
- Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Chapter
- Evidence for Gender and Education Resource (EGER) Profileù
- Data on schools
- GEMR – Inclusion Profile
Sources:
Education Financing
| Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP 1 | Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure 1 |
| 2.70% (2023) | 17.50 % (2023) |
Additional Resources:
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Literacy
| 15+ years | 15-24 years | 25-64 years | 65+ years | |
| Literacy rate by age group (2022) 1 | 58.67% | 74.70% | 51.54% | 24.67% |
| Both sexes | Males | Females | |
| Literacy rate by sex 1 | 58.67% (2022) | 65.31% | 52.25% |
Additional Resources:
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Educational Technology
| Proportion of schools with access to internet for pedagogical purposes (2021) 1 | Proportion of secondary schools with access to computers for pedagogical purposes 1 | |
| Lower secondary | No data found | 40.84% |
| Upper secondary | 25.40% (2018) | 56.81% |
Additional Resources:
- Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education data center
- ADEA ICT4E Botswana Country Report (upcoming)
- The GEMR Technology Profile
Sources:
Education in Emergencies (EiE)
| Refugees and asylum seekers 1 | Internally Displaced Persons due to conflict or natural disasters 2 |
| 4,283 (31.08.2024) | 5.7k (2023) |