The Permanent Secretary at the Department of State for Education, Mr. Babucarr Boye, has asserted that until such time that the working condition of teachers is raised to a reasonable degree, there would be no guarantee to a minimum acceptable levels of pupils achievements.

He added: “May I hasten to assert that unless and until the working condition of teachers is improved, at least to a reasonable limit, there will be no guarantee to a minimum acceptable levels of pupils achievement, to say the least. This assertion is based on the fact that the number of teachers in The Gambia, for instance, at the lower basic school has fallen.”

To Mr. Boye, teachers’ demand for better working conditions for them and other education workers affirms their [teachers] commitment and resolve to the achievement of quality education for all. He went on to state that comparative studies, as in the case of public opinion polls carried out on the achievement of learners, indicate that better learning conditions and output of teachers hinge squarely on the circumstance(s) surrounding them.

The education permanent secretary, who was speaking on the occasion of the commemoration of World Teachers Day, stressed the significance of in-service training as an increased opportunity for teachers to sharpen their tools.