The UN has developed a Global Education Initiative, which are three different priorities

or goals that they would like to be reached. The first is to put every single child in school.
Education is a driving force for the world that we live in, in this day and age. The more an
individual learns how to read, write, count and think logically, the more and more opportunities
will arise. The next is to improve the quality of learning. Children who are in school go through
school and come out having just a very basic knowledge of the curriculum rather than a deep
understanding of the curriculum. Part of this is due to the fact that some of our teachers are not as
qualified as they should be. Having teachers who lack the basic knowledge to teach it to their
students will result in students who have minimal knowledge on basic subjects which will further
result in a very uneducated society. The final priority is to Foster Global Citizenship, in which
their goal is to bring shared values to life. This is to start the movement to get people to think
about and care about the world and those who we all share it with. This last priority is the most
important to me; developing a world that cares about others that are thousands of miles away
who may not have the same opportunities and chances presented to them. Having an Earth that
wants those people that are thousands of mile away to get the same education as they do and
wanting them so succeed in whichever way they see fit.
The country Gambia has been working on all of these priorities in the last couple of
years, but still has some work to do. Although there have been steps taken to get all school age
children into primary school, there are still millions of children in Africa who are not in any
school whatsoever. All of those children are at an incredible disadvantage compared to the
children who do get to go to school every single day. The World Bank Report showed that the
total population in Gambia in 2010 was 1,633,391, of that 1,633,391 the seven to twelve year
olds make up 264,276 (or 16% of the total population), the thirteen to fifteen year olds make up

117,552 (7%), and the sixteen to eighteen year olds are roughly 108,272 (approximately 7% as
well). From 2000 to 2010, the enrollment for senior secondary and higher has doubled from
15,554 to 36,141. The basic or primary school age students enrollment has increased, but it has
increase at a steady rate and is continuing to do so. The primary enrollment went from 223,328 to
303,281 in the ten year time span. All of this is good news for Gambia, but it cant stop here.
This needs to continue to increase so that the amount of educated individuals in Gambia
continues to increase as well.
In regards to qualified teacher or highly educated teachers, there is more good news. In
the last report done, it showed that there were 75.7 % teachers who were well qualified to teach,
and only 24.3% who were unqualified or dubbed uneducated to teach and teach well.
Interestingly, out of those teachers there was only 26.5 % who were female, and the remaining
73.5 % were male teachers. This could be seen as an example as past years in Gambia and who
was able to go to school and who stayed at home. Most likely, the male teachers were the young
boys who were lucky enough to go to school and to get an education. The female teachers, the
small percentage of them that there is, were not allowed or not able to go to school. It can be
assumed that the women most likely had to stay at home with their mothers and learn how to
cook and clean and to take care of the family. Hopefully, with education raising in Gambia, there
will be a more equal percentage of qualified male and female teachers.
Globally, Gambia is at 5.6 % of the basic and primary grades and 3.5 % for the higher
education. That being said, there is not much of a push for education in Gambia outside of
Gambia. It is not heard about much in the news, many miles away in the United States of
America, very few people even know about the country Gambia.

Overall, Gambia has improved in the three priorities over the years, but it should not stop
here. This country should still strive to do better and be better, and the rest of the world should
do what they can to improve education, not only in Gambia, but in all countries across the globe.

Works Cited
The Gambia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2015, from http://wwwwds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/12/01/000386194_2011
1201014130/Rendered/PDF/658320ESW0WHIT0ountry0status0report.pdf