More than 46,000 children in Gambia are still out of school and face a potentially challenging future, according to a joint statement from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and UNICEF.

“While primary school enrolment was at 428,053 children in 2023, more than 46,000 children in the country are still out of school and face a potentially challenging future if they grow up without appropriate education or skills. Children miss out on so many crucial opportunities when they are denied the right to education, a basic right that no child should have to struggle for,” the statement said.

Many children are not able to experience the full cycle of schooling. The primary school completion rate is at 88 per cent, upper basic school 65 per cent and senior secondary school 47 per cent, the statement added. 

The officials of the two bodies called on parents and the private sector and development partners to make it an urgent priority to ensure every child is in school at the right age, and to invest more in the education and skills of children.

“We must also support families in difficult circumstances to cover the associated costs of education and other basic needs that hinder their children’s education. Let us also remember to invest more in foundational learning to address the learning crisis, a reality facing many children.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba