By Abdou Mbye
Raising Aspirations in Science Education in The Gambia dubbed “Raise Gambia”, a UK Charity-based International Science Education Organization, recently donated scientific apparatus worth more than one hundred thousand dalasis(D100, 000) to various Upper Basic Schools in the country.
Receiving the items at Siffoe Upper and Senior Secondary School, officials of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) under the Science and Technology Education Directorate (STED) and Science Teachers Coordinators from different schools identify various practicals that can be conducted using these apparatus and then identified seven major experiments that can be done with the materials.
The identified practicals include testing for nutrients in foods, using microscopes, demonstrating light rays, osmosis, testing acids and bases, investigating solubility, investigating pressure, and electricity.
The Principal Education Officer (PEO) under STED, Dr. Babou Joof, in an interview with The Gambia daily highlighted that these items would complement government’s efforts in promoting and improving science education in The Gambia as well as avail Upper Basic Schools the opportunity to access and interact with tangible science equipment in the teaching and learning process.
Mr. Joof further explained that the science directorate had plans to introduce a moving laboratory called ‘lab in the car’ for Upper Basic schools where schools will request the apparatus and it would be made available for them and to be returned to the center after concluding their practicals
The in-country coordinator for Raise Gambia, Mr.Saidu Gbla, said that these materials have already impacted in the teaching and learning of science in The Gambia and his organization will continue to support the contry in this direction.
“We set up this organisation to complement government’s efforts to improve science education in The Gambia and we thought that the best way to do that is to use the practical aspect because most schools do not have these materials and in science learning, the practical is easily comprehensible than the theory ”, Mr.Gbla expounded.
The Head of Science Department (HOD) at Gunjur Upper Basic School (UBS), Mr. Yahya Drammeh said that he was among the pioneers of this program and that these materials have been very helpful because they had shifted the learning of science from abstract to touch-based adding that practicals and experiments facilitate better understanding.
He added that these materials are beneficial to Upper Basic schools, Senior Secondary Schools and even tertiary institutions as it makes the teaching of Science uncomplicated as students can interact using the materials.
