School in Gambia

Early Childhood Development (ECD) and nursery education normally cover ages 3 to 6. Public, community and private providers operate at this level, and Madrassa schools also provide an established pathway. In 2025, ECD included 1,678 institutions and 148,299 learners, with private providers accounting for most ECD institutions and enrolment. Trained facilitators covered 76.4% of ECD provision, so quality and access can differ substantially between schools. Children normally enter Grade 1 at age 7, although early and late entry occur. LBE covers Grades 1 to 6, UBE covers Grades 7 to 9, and the two levels together make up the basic cycle. A Basic Cycle School may combine LBE and UBE. The Grade 8 National Assessment Test, commonly called NAT, forms part of assessment in the basic cycle. The Grade 9 Gambia Basic Education Certificate Examination, known as GABECE, supports certification and selection into Grade 10. SSE lasts three years, from Grade 10 to Grade 12, and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, or WASSCE, provides the main completion and certification pathway. Government schools are owned, managed and financed by the state. Grant-aided schools are managed by boards and receive government support while following national standards. Private conventional schools are privately financed but follow MoBSE curriculum and regulatory requirements. Madrassa schools are faith-linked providers and represent a major national pathway; their curriculum and equivalence with other pathways must be checked with the individual school and relevant level. The Complementary and Continuing Education and Training option, or CCT, has been used as a policy-defined alternative for out-of-school children in religious custody, but historic pilot coverage does not establish general availability today. The Constitution of 1997 describes basic education as free, compulsory and available to all. Public basic and secondary schools have had fees and levies abolished under the Education Policy 2016-2030, but families may still pay for uniforms and stationery. ECD and private-school charges vary, and no verified national private fee tariff applies to every school. Admission and placement requirements can differ by school and region; a birth certificate is reported as relevant, but a single current national admission checklist has not been verified. In 2025, the system contained 4,039 institutions and 830,895 learners. Public enrolment represented 63.2% of learners and private enrolment 36.8%. LBE had the largest enrolment, while participation declined after the basic cycle: gross enrolment was 102.4% in LBE, 78.9% in UBE and 58.0% in SSE. Completion was 92.1% in LBE, 68.2% in UBE and 50.6% in SSE. The figures show a substantial retention problem, particularly at senior secondary level. Girls had higher participation indicators at every level in 2025, while boys faced a growing participation and completion gap at upper levels. The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education governs the system. The Early Childhood Education, Inclusion and Disability Directorate handles ECD and inclusion matters. The Curriculum, Research, Evaluation and Development Directorate prepares curricula, syllabi and materials. The Standards, Quality Assurance and Development Directorate supervises compliance, school conditions and teacher quality. Planning, statistics and school mapping are supported through the Planning, Policy Analysis, Research, Budgeting and Development directorate and the Education Management Information System. The country uses eight education regions in the 2025 Education Sector Status Report, although some service pages still show six older regional labels. Schools commonly use double-shifting; in 2025 this affected 52.0% of all schools and 51.5% of LBE schools. Multi-grade teaching affected 13.3% of LBE schools. Safe water was available at 95.1% of schools and permanent classrooms at 93.4%, but electricity covered 63.4%, libraries 58.2%, adapted infrastructure for learners with disabilities 48.8%, pedagogical internet 15.6% and handwashing facilities 13.2%. Conditions therefore vary by region and school, especially in rural areas. Region 2W had the highest enrolment across levels, while Regions 5N and 5S had the lowest post-primary volumes. The formal policy framework supports inclusion regardless of gender, age, religion or disability. Mild and moderate disabilities are generally intended to be supported in mainstream schools, while severe impairments may be directed to special schools or resource centres. The practical coverage remains fragmented because trained staff, early identification and adapted buildings are not available everywhere. The system also includes school feeding through government and partner programmes; reported 2025 coverage reached 328,260 learners in 823 schools, but this does not create an individual guaranteed benefit for every learner. MoBSE publishes academic calendars, but exact term, admission and examination dates are not uniform in the available evidence. The current regional or school notice should therefore be checked for dates. National language foundational-learning preparation for public ECD and LBE Grades 2 to 3 was planned for the 2025/26 rollout, with implementation requiring confirmation at the relevant school and region. School choice should be checked against the official School List or EMIS information, the school's current fee and admission notice, its level equivalence, and the pathway available after completion.