Gambia to prioritise STEM study to aid in national development
The Gambian Minister of Tourism and Culture, has said that the President of Gambia, Adama Barrow, plans to prioritise the study of STEM courses over social sciences in its educational system to aid in national development.
The Minister, while speaking at a public gathering on November 21 raised concerns about the relevance of studying social sciences, questioning their contribution to national development.
He said that Africa was adopting the colonial education system which he described as a recipe for underdevelopment leading to the African youth irregularly migrating to Europe.
“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, When you look at the University of The Gambia during graduation, you will see 500–600 lawyers, history teachers, political science, and hundreds of graduates. But when you look at the sciences and medicine, you will see only a few,”he is quoted by local media the Fatu Network.
“Bad education system is the recipe for our young people dying in the sea in Asia and Africa. The time has come for governments of Africa and Asia to revisit their educational policies,” he added.
