Schools

Education of our children is one of our priorities and the Diocese is responsible for a number of schools. Within the Diocese there are 4 nursery schools with a total population of 891 children. Only 1 of the schools is located in the rural areas (Basse, Upper River Division), the other 3 are situated in the Greater Banjul Area. Only 2 schools provide primary education, and these are all located in the capital city Banjul.

Post primary education is provided only by 1 Diocesan Institution, the Anglican Vocational Training Centre, which is situated at Faraffeni in the  North Bank Division.

The Centre has a student population of 75, of which 25 are girls. The Centre provides students with 3 years of education offering courses in Carpentry an joinery, Building Construction, Agriculture, Home Economics, Metal Work, English, Mathematics and Social Science.

The Centre has great potential in view of its location, being one of the very few vocational schools in the rural areas and the North Bank, for that matter.

The location of the school next to the farm gives it an added potential for the designing of a certificate or diploma course in agricultural extension services with the farm providing valuable opportunities as a demonstration and teaching centre.

Significant gains have been made in the education sector particularly in the urban and peri-urban areas, and in the Anglican Training Centre (ATC). Given the dearth of junior and high schools in the Diocesan area, upgrading of the primary schools to cater for junior and high school places is opportune. Action in this sector should include the following:

Upgrading and Expanding Primary Schools

To increase access to junior and high schools, the Rev. j C Faye Memorial School should be upgraded and expanded to provide education to Upper Basic (Grade 12). The Archdeacon George Nursery School should be upgraded up to that of a middle school (grade 7 - 9). New locations should be sought for these future developments. These developments will provide Anglican children the opportunity of being educated in institutions where Anglican traditions are nurtured and preserved.

Evaluation and Strengthening of ATC.

After 10 years of operations at the ATC it is important that the institution's activities be evaluated so that new directions can be charted given present socio-economic developments. The results of the evaluation should form the basis for future developments and consolidation. There is no doubt that the ATC has great potential and this must be maximized as soon as possible. it is important that present achievements be consolidated. The necessary equipments and logistics to enhance the quality of instruction should be provided and the required capacity for teaching and managing the Centre should be assured.

Upgrading and expansion of  Nursery Education

Achievements of the Banjulnding Nursery School should be consolidated within a plan of incremental expansion.

Achievements in the school at Basse, need to be consolidated. As a matter of urgency, the financial and operational constraints should be addressed.

As Basse is a potential area for increased population growth, in the medium to long term the nursery school should be nurtured for relocation and expansion to a primary school, and up to higher levels of basic education.

Constraints in the lack of Anglican teachers mean that a training plan should be developed for both local and overseas institutions.

Central  and very urgent to future developments in the education sector is the development  of a Diocesan Education Policy in consonance with the National Education Policy that will set the framework and guidelines for all education development activities.

The appointment of an education secretary within the AMDV to supervise and advise on all education matters is imperative.

Functional Literacy

Given the high level of illiteracy, especially amongst women and girls, the Diocese must break new ground and address the problem of illiteracy through an integrated functional literacy programme. Such a programme will bring together the elements of development such as health, agriculture, environment through functional literacy. Existing institutions such as the AVTC and the Basse Nursery School can be learning centres. There are opportunities for linkages with the National Integrated Functional Literacy Programme of Government.

Special Needs Education

Action is also necessary in the area of special needs education. Recently a National Disability Survey has been completed. The results should form the basis for priority intervention in the area of special needs education. Existing Diocesan institutions can form the basis for a modest start.

Objectives of Education programme.