By: Mariama Njie &
Binta Jaiteh
The National Human Right Commission (NHRC) with support from the British High Commission in The Gambia hired a consultant to support the review of the Basic Cycle and Senior Secondary School curricula. The consultancy aims to identify entry points for the integration of human rights education into the basic and secondary school education levels to nurture human rights values in children.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the forum held at NaNA Hall, David Belgrove British High Commissioner in The Gambia said human rights education is an important component in the school system.
“The right to education promotes a full development of the human personality and appreciation of human dignity strengthening, respect for human rights and delivering quality education for all,” he added.
According to him, human rights education will contribute to improving the effectiveness of education system as a home which in turn will contribute to a country’s economic social and political development.
Belgrove stated that “it provides improve quality of leaning achievements by promoting child centered, participatory teaching and learning process as well as new teaching role profession.”
“Participation in schooling by creating a rights space learning and welcoming foster universal values equal opportunities respect for diversity and non-discrimination,” he said.
Meanwhile, Louis Moses Mendy, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education said recently they have undergone some curriculum review and the aim for it was to make sure the curriculum is expanded to incorporate some very essential missing discipline area of concern sector.
Adding that “based on that it is timely that the national human rights commission thought it twice to incorporate the element of the issue of human rights in to national curriculum.”
“It is important to teach some of these values to our society and one entry point for this would be at the curriculum level in times of the wide coverage it has in the population segment,” he said.
If these things are incorporated into curriculum and take to the schools, the student population from ECD to grade 12, it will definitely help.
However, it is part of the human right commission’s mandate to promote and protect human rights, in particular through Human Rights Education and the nurturing of a culture of respect for human rights in The Gambia.
