The structure of the Gambian education system is relatively typical, consisting of three years of early childhood, nine years of basic education (six years lower and three years upper), and three years of secondary education, followed by four years of tertiary education. 

Education System: Challenges. Noted challenges for education in The Gambia include a lack of qualified and experienced teachers, cultural norms such as early marriage for girls and early work for boys, inadequate infrastructure and resources, out-of-date curriculum, poor funding and access disparities (e.g., urban/rural, gender). 

The current (1997) Gambian Constitution “affirms basic education as a right, emphasizing its free, compulsory, and universal availability.” Yet, in 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that only 72% of children ages 5 to 14 were attending school; 23% were working (including human trafficking and forced begging), with the rest combining school and work. Of 15- to 17-year-olds, 5.4% (9,275) were performing “hazardous work,” which included sexual exploitation/human trafficking, forced begging and forced labor. The report noted the country’s “moderate advancement” in eliminating the worst of these abuses. Efforts include a small shelter for survivors, a focus on access to education and child protection and anti-human trafficking measures in the 2023-2027 National Development Plan, and training for National Assembly members on children’s rights. Still, there are legal, policy, financial, and implementation gaps. 

The Gambia’s education expenditure of 2.8% of GDP, or approximately 14% of its national budget, ranks the country 161:201 and leaves just barely over half its population (51.6%) literate. 

Addressing the Challenges: The Gambia Commitment

In March 2023, The Gambia’s Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) published a 2023-2029 Partnership Compact, with the priority reform of Accessible, Equitable and Inclusive Foundational Learning. 

Stakeholders participating in the development of the compact document included representatives from the Local Education Group, the Gambia Teachers Union, and various MoBSE and Ministry of Finance units and directorates. The commitment goal is that “at least 80% of students will attain minimum grade competencies by 2030.” Achieving this goal depends on what happens during the early primary school years—learning to read fluently, acquiring fundamental mathematics competencies and developing socioeconomic skills. 

Addressing the Challenges: International Support

  • European Union. Investing in The Gambia’s democratic transition, the EU allocated almost $225 million to a 2021-2027 partnership. This partnership includes initiatives to support secondary education, especially focusing on reducing the general gap in completion rates and among educators.  In  November 2025, the EU agreed to over $23 million of funding for “EU Support to Improve Secondary Education for the Gambia Youth (EU-ISEY).” The purpose of this funding is to improve completion rates, at the same time as reducing gender and socioeconomic educational attainment inequalities, especially in rural areas. This will include upgrading all teacher training programs to full degree level. The Gambia’s Minister for Basic and Secondary Education referred to the “emotional promise . . . to heal wounds of exclusion and weave a future of dignity and opportunity for our families and generations yet unborn.” https://www.askanwi.com/news/eu-supports-the-gambias-secondary-education-with-d17-billion-five-year-grant 
  • World Bank: The Gambia RISE. In March of 2024, the World Bank approved the five-year, $92.71 million multisectoral Gambia RISE Project: The Gambia Resilience, Inclusion, Skills, and Equity Project, targeting 272,000 participants, including children and teachers. The project includes $12.26 million co-financing from the Global Partnership for Education. Improving the quality of education and education access is one of several components designed to improve how The Gambia “builds, protects, and utilizes its human capital.” Early childhood education—literacy and numeracy—(through grade 4) will be strengthened, access to technical and vocational education and training will be expanded and income-generating opportunities for the poor and food-insecure will be enhanced. 

Earlier World Bank activity in The Gambia includes the Education Sector Support Program Project (2018) focused on increasing access to early childhood development and education, expanding access to inclusive education and addressing economic and geographic disparities and vulnerable groups, including gender and disabled students. 

The Future

The Gambia is classified by the United Nations as a Least Developed Country, and the educational challenges it faces reflect this reality. Recognizing these barriers, the Gambian government has demonstrated a commitment to strengthening its education system, supported significantly by international funding. In the coming years, this sustained commitment and global partnership are expected to drive meaningful improvements and lasting change.      

– Brianna White

Photo: Flickr