By: Isatou Sarr
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) has announced the list of nominees for the National Teachers Awards 2024 during an event held at the Ministry’s Conference Hall in Banjul on Friday, December 27, 2024.
Teachers from across all regions of The Gambia were given the chance to participate through their regions while winners from each region are nominated, and those who qualify will be recognized and awarded at the upcoming National Teachers Prize Award ceremony while among all that most qualified will be crowned as the National Winner at the upcoming National Teachers Prize Awards 2024 scheduled for 20th February 2025. This event, now in its second edition, aims to celebrate and reward excellence in education and marks an important step toward achieving the country’s educational goals.
The National Teacher Prize Award was founded Namie Foundation and also sponsored by the foundation
In her address, the Honourable Minister of MoBSE, Dr.Habibatou Drammeh, highlighted that the initiative celebrates the vital contributions of teachers to society.
“I am pleased with your involvement, and I encourage you to continue your excellent work and develop new initiatives that not only enhance the quality of teaching but also serve as motivation and encouragement for our society’s leaders. I often say that teachers are the cream of The Gambia’s society, and the sooner we realize this, the better,” Dr. Drammeh stated.
Essa Sowe, Deputy Secretary-General of The Gambia Teachers’ Union, emphasized the nobility of the teaching profession, noting that it plays a crucial role in shaping the future generation.
“Teaching is a noble profession that helps shape the hearts and minds of future leaders. Educators, by extension, are silent national assets. Celebrating them is not just important, but essential. Their unfair judgment or treatment often comes from us. It is no mistake that the winners have gone above and beyond their usual roles. Rewarding them for their time and energy is a noble act,” he said.
Omar J. Ndure, Chairman of the National Judges Panel for the Namie Foundation Best Teachers Prize, shared that the panel faced the challenge of selecting regional winners but noted that this year’s process saw significant improvements.
The nominees for the National Teachers Award 2024, who were selected from across the regions, include:
Malang Sanneh (Region 6, Bolibama USB/SSS
Hawa Jaiteh (Region 5 North, Kayai Basic Cycle
Bubacarr Ceesay (Region 5 South, Sare Lubba LBS
Muhammed Kandeh (Region 3, Kerewan SSS
Angelic Isatou Mendy (Region 4, Pakalinding UBS
Samba Jallow (Region 2 East, Sibanor SSS
Ebrima Gaye (Region 2 West, Jamisa UBS/SSS
Amadou Camara (Region 1, Muhammedan LBS
Lamin Jarjou, Chairman of the Award Committee, confirmed that last year’s national winners received D100,000, with D50,000 awarded to both the national and regional level winners. This year, the same prize structure will apply, with D50,000 awarded to both the national and regional winners.
About Namie Foundation
The Foundation was founded by Alhassan Susso and is dedicated to promoting education in The Gambia. The core mission is to mobilize resources and people to provide high-quality and innovative professional learning opportunities for educators, from Early Childhood Development to Grade Twelve and beyond.
Committed to creating educational opportunities and supportfor learners through sponsorship and exchange programs between educators in The Gambia and their counterparts in the United States of America with a Vision of repositioning The Gambia’s education system through quality teachers.
