By: Sandally Sawo
Tourism and culture minister Hamat Bah has questioned the benefit of English and political science doctorate degrees to national development, stressing that the Barrow administration is determined to reverse an education system that teaches students to become degree holders in languages, political science and law.
“They only prepare us for MSC degrees in French and doctorate degrees in English and political science. What benefit does that have for the country? That’s what we want to reverse,” Bah told the people of Farafenni on Wednesday as President Barrow continued with his community meetings. He continued: “When the University of The Gambia is graduating, you will see 600 lawyers, many history teachers, and political science degree holders but few in science. This education system cannot continue.”
According to the tourism minister, The Gambia lacks professionals for national development, adding that poverty and the neglect of public schools had compromised the quality of education.
“When your father is poor, you cannot access private schools. All public schools are neglected not in The Gambia alone but all over Africa. We don’t have qualified professionals for national development. The goal of President Barrow is that in every school that you go to, you must have quality. The construction of schools, training of teachers, and investment in the university are clear indications that Barrow is for change and every Gambian must embrace that change. We should tell our people that failed education has only brought us half-baked education,” he underscored.
Husbandlessness As Trigger for Social Crisis
The tourism minister pointed out that the inability of mature ladies to find husbands could spark a social crisis as he spoke against the Backway Syndrome.
“The reason Backway is bad is that it will destroy our religion. Every person wants their girl-child to have children but if all our youth go to Europe and marry white people, who will marry them [Gambian women]? How can a mature woman need marriage but is unable to see a man because all the youths went Backway? We will have a social crisis. May God forbid that,” Bah stated.
He, however, said the government will reverse the Backway problem its own way.
“This govt will reverse this backway problem not through arresting and imprisoning people but by educating them to be equipped with the necessary skills to participate in national development,” Bah promised. “We, therefore, appeal to parents not to sell their cattle or land to give it to their children and tell them to go Backway. Use the money for skills training. Europe has aged and they need workers but they don’t want unskilled workers,” he added.