By Fatou Krubally
Scores of members of parliament (MP) have roundly called for the establishment of a dedicated Teacher Service Commission, a body they say is crucial to improving teacher welfare.
The MPs made the call on Wednesday during the second ordinary session of the National Assembly in the 2025 legislative year.
According to the MPs, such a service commission will be responsible for appointments, promotions, and discipline of teachers in The Gambia’s education sector. The parliamentarians also expressed growing frustration with the Ministry of Public Service, Administrative Reform, Policy Coordination and Delivery over what they described as a lack of commitment to establish a dedicated Teacher Service Commission.
To respond to the MPs’ call, The Minister for Public Service, Administrative Reform, Policy Coordination and Delivery outlined the government’s position on the matter, stating that a committee currently handles the functions that a teacher service commission would normally perform. He argued that this committee, created in 2014 under delegated authority from the Public Service Commission, has effectively managed the appointment, promotion, and discipline of teachers from grades six to eight and will soon include higher grades.
The Minister further explained that a recent functional review of government entities recommended merging and realigning some institutions rather than creating new standalone structures, citing cost concerns and potential duplication of efforts. According to him, the ministry has no plans to establish a teacher service commission, preferring instead to strengthen the existing committee to avoid placing additional financial burdens on an already strained budget.
However, MPs were not convinced. The Honourable Member for Foni Bintang Bakary Badjie challenged the minister’s claim, insisting that the absence of a teacher service commission has negatively affected the education sector and teacher welfare. Several other MPs echoed this concern, emphasizing that teachers deserve a dedicated commission to oversee not just promotion and discipline but also the conditions of service issues they say the current committee does not adequately address.
The Honourable Member for Latrikunda Sabiji Constituency, Yahya Menteng Sanyang raised questions about potential conflicts between the Public Service Commission, Ministry of Education, and the committee handling teacher matters, but the minister assured parliament that no such conflicts exist since the committee operates under delegated authority with representation from the Public Service Commission.
Despite these assurances, calls for establishing a Teacher Service Commission persisted, especially as MPs referenced its inclusion in previous draft constitutions and the widespread support among educationists.
The debate also touched on the cost of maintaining a commission, with the minister citing the failure of a previous attempt due to expense and inefficiency. Yet, some MPs argued that resource constraints should not be a reason to delay institutional reforms that would enhance the professionalism and welfare of teachers.
As the session concluded, MPs requested that the ministry submit a detailed mandate of the existing committee for further review, underscoring the need for transparency and greater parliamentary oversight on teacher management issues.
The issue remains a significant point of contention between parliament and the executive, highlighting the ongoing challenges in prioritizing education sector reforms in The Gambia.
