FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Gibairu Janneh
8 March 2008
"The current plans by my department to integrate the public tertiary schools namely Gambia College, (GC), Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) and Management Development Institute (MDI) under the University of the Gambia (UTG) is designed to promote and improve the education quality of the country."
These were the words of the permanent secretary, department of state for higher education, research, science and technology, Dr. Saidou Jallow. Dr. Jallow made this remark recently while delivering a lecture on the integration of tertiary schools at the National Union of Gambia Students (NUGS) congress held at the Friendship Hotel in Bakau. He said the integration process which is contained in the 2004-2015 education policy document is designed to promote the university of the Gambia to build and establish a working relationship with the existing tertiary institutions so as to strengthen its infrastructure. He said his department has set up a task force on integration and the membership of this task force include all the tertiary institutions, adding that the task force has already conducted internal consultations, workshops, and seminars in all the affected institutions and have submitted their reports which is in support of the integration process and they have used the task force report to draft a cabinet paper which is sent to cabinet for approval.
Dr. Jallow said the process if accomplished will promote the quality of education as an integrated UTG will provide standardize programmes for tertiary and higher education, expose students to academic disciplines and programmes that have international recognition, ensure quality and relevance, set a recognized standard for accrediting and validating qualifications, alignment of professional and academic programmes and prevent the unnecessary duplication of the same or similar programmes in the various schools. He concluded that if the proposal is realized, it will not only improve the country's education system, but it will also aid the country in the realisation of its vision 2020 dream since it will increase capacity to provide quality and sustainable tertiary education, promote research that will support the human resource needs for national development and empower students to realise their potentials in the society.
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