By Yunus S Saliu
The weeklong science teachers training on responsible use of water has ended on Friday. The end of the training was marked with issuing of certificates to all the participated teachers selected from the twelve UNESCO Associated Schools (ASPnet) coordinators and twenty UNESCO Club Coordinators from the six education regions.
The weeklong training held at the Rotary Centennial Science Laboratory, Kanifing was meant to strengthening capacity of science teachers on the local appropriate technologies involved in the management, utilization and conservation of quality water.
The training was organized by the Directorate of Science and Technology Education (DESTED) of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in collaboration with the Gambia National Commission for UNESCO and fully sponsored by the UNESCO.
Speaking on behalf of the Secretary General of the Gambia National Commission for UNESCO at the closing ceremony of the training, Lamin Jarju commended participants for their regularity and full commitment to the training despite their busy scheduled in their various schools.
Taking into consideration the importance of the training, he urged the trained teachers to kindly disseminate the lessons acquired during weeklong course to other teachers and students at their various schools to enable them to benefit from it, too.
He added that in the nearest future some students will be gathered together for similar training and this will follow with a poster and drama competition to promote a more sustainable and responsible use of water for social equity and environmental protection.
Kaddy Bah, Senior Education Officer Science and Technology director MoBSE thanked UNESCO-Natcom Gambia for sponsoring the training. She implored the teachers to work hard as regarding training of their students and colleagues on water education to enable them create more awareness not only in schools but at community level on the use and management of quality water, water harvesting, treatment and conservation.
Lamin Sowe of Brikama Lower Basic School, Habsal Mandeh of Mingdow Secondary School also the UNESCO Coordinator in the school and Bunjaneh Sanyang of Sukuta Upper and Senior Secondary School also ASPnet School Coordinator all harped on the importance of the training.
They thanked the sponsor and their school managements for allowing them to partake in the training. They as well encouraged parent especially women to learn how to control the use of water to save water and money wasted on water bills.