The Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Habibatou Drammeh, has called on schools across The Gambia to cut back on non-essential activities that take teachers and students away from the classroom, stressing the need to safeguard instructional time.
Speaking at a media briefing on the 2026 Gambia Basic Education Certificate Examination (GABECE) results on Friday, Dr. Drammeh emphasized that consistent attendance and uninterrupted classroom engagement are vital to improving learning outcomes.
“Protecting classroom time must remain a priority for schools,” she said, noting that the Ministry is working to minimize activities not directly related to teaching and learning.
The Minister also announced plans to introduce local languages alongside English at the early childhood level. The bilingual approach, she explained, is designed to help children better understand lessons and reduce reliance on rote memorization. Under the new system, young learners will be exposed to both English and local languages from the start of their education.
Dr. Drammeh expressed confidence that these measures, combined with ongoing reforms, will strengthen teaching and learning in the years ahead.
The comments came as the Ministry presented the 2026 GABECE results and outlined strategies to address challenges facing the education sector.
