The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education of The Gambia (MoBSE), in collaboration with the KIX Africa 19 Hub and various partners, concluded a two-day National Policy Dialogue on its Education Management Information System (EMIS) at the Ocean Bay Hotel in Cape Point, Bakau.
The event, held from September 6-7, 2023, brought together the Senior Management and other staff of MoBSE, representatives from sister Ministries, partners, and other key education stakeholders to discuss data, focusing on the Ministry's strengths and weaknesses in data management. They also aimed to share knowledge on data collection, sharing, management, analysis, and ways to improve data.
In his welcoming address, the Permanent Secretary of MoBSE, Mr. Ebrima Sisawo, expressed gratitude to KIX Africa 19 Hub Consortium Partner, the African Union's Institute for Education for Development (AU IPED), for funding the event. He emphasized the Ministry's commitment to maintaining its leadership in data management, not only in The Gambia but also in the entire subregion. Permanent Secretary Sisawo also mentioned the Ministry's desire to collaborate with the Ministry of Health to link their data for better decision-making.
The AU IPED representative, Mr. Lukman Olawale Jaji, highlighted the AU's commitment to supporting MoBSE and other organizations. He outlined the African Union's expectations for the meeting, including identifying missing EMIS elements, targeting desired data indicators, and creating groupings within the Ministry's framework.
Madam Claudiana A. Cole, the Honorable Minister for Basic and Secondary Education, emphasized the importance of data in her opening remarks. She described data as the lifeblood of the education sector, shaping policies, programs, and the nation's future. She outlined three themes for the dialogue: assessing strengths and gaps, sharing experiences, and creating a clear roadmap for action. She also commended the University of The Gambia and the University of Oslo for establishing a master's degree program in EMIS to enhance capacity building.
The event also featured speeches from Madam Henrietta Sonko, the MRC Holland Foundation Country Coordinator, and a representative from the Ministry of Health who both spoke about the importance of data and how their various institutions use data to make informed decisions. Adama Jimba Jobe, the Deputy Permanent Secretary Programs at MoBSE, chaired the event.
Written by: Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, The Gambia
