The outgoing chairperson of EFA Campaign Network Gambia Chapter, Madam Adelaide Sosseh, recently told her network members that quality education is still a concern despite progress registered towards achieving the goals of education for all by 2015.

Madam Sosseh made this remark recently at the general assembly of the network held at the Paradise suites Hotel.

According to Mrs. Sosseh, celebrating the success of the said progress should go along with the mindfulness of the gaps.

Quality education she said is still a major concern, i.e. "quality based on learning out comes and not inputs." She said the EFA network and its parent bodies believe in the indivisibility of the EFA Goals. "Thus there is still a lot of work for the EFA Network to compliment and support government efforts to meet the EFA goals and MDGs by 2015 and beyond, and to implement right based approaches to education in the face of major global challenges caused by the 3Fs -financial, fuel and food cries, "she said.

Mrs. Sosseh noted that the Gambia has made significant progress in attaining the EFA and MDGs goals, citing the report published by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and UNMC in preparation for the MDG summit. She revealed that the Gambia is one of the 11 countries that have made absolute progress on the MDGs.

She reminded her colleagues that it was 10 years ago when they embarked on the mission, whose goal was to set up a network that would campaign for the realization of the EFA goals.

"Two years after embarking on this mission, reached an important milestone - 2002 was a landmark year as the EFA network was launched and the first general assembly held. Despite all odds and 8 years after this date and 10 years from where it all started, we are here again to mount another important milestone - the 3rd general assembly, "she said.

Mrs. Sosseh noted that with the clock ticking down to 2015 they have to assess where they are today and where they are coming from and what they have achieved so far. She argued that while others may have their yardstick and indicators of success, her personal assessment is that they have come a long way.

Speaking at the congress, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Abdou Boye hailed the advocacy works of EFA. He urged the organization to continue to put membership credibility and dedication to serve as cornerstones of their advocacy work.

Mr. Boye advised the network to retain the expertise of Mrs. Sosseh even when she retires. Mr. Boye laud the partnership between EFA and his ministry over the years, describing it as successful in mobilizing international support towards the cultivation of education for all by 2015.

He said government has made significant strides towards providing education for a high percentage of Gambian children which is crucial to the attainment of the millennium development goals (MDG) Mr. Mattarr Baldeh gave an overview of the organization.