By Haddy Touray
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) has announced plans to introduce instruction in seven national languages in public schools across The Gambia from the 2026/2027 academic year as part of efforts to strengthen foundational learning among young children.
The initiative, supported by the World Bank through the Resilience, Inclusion, Skills, and Equity (RISE) Project, forms part of a new Structured Pedagogy Foundational Learning Programme targeting children in early childhood development centres and pupils in Grades 1 to 3.
The ministry said the use of English as the primary language of instruction in the early grades has created learning challenges for many children, particularly those who have limited exposure to English at home.
It said the language barrier can make it difficult for pupils to understand classroom instruction and develop basic reading, writing and numeracy skills.
To address the challenge, MoBSE said it is partnering with Learning Masterminds, a Ghana-based non-governmental organisation specialising in foundational literacy and numeracy, to implement the programme nationwide.
The programme will use seven national languages — Mandinka, Pulaar, Wolof, Manjaku, Serer, Jola and [the seventh language, which was not specified in the source text] — as languages of instruction in the early grades.
Under the new approach, children will receive instruction in languages they understand best, with the aim of making early education more accessible, inclusive and effective.
The ministry said the programme is expected to strengthen pupils’ foundational skills in letter recognition, phonics and blending, reading, writing and basic numeracy by the end of Grade 3.
The nationwide rollout represents a shift in early-grade instruction, with greater emphasis on the use of familiar languages as a bridge to literacy and broader learning.
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