We were delighted to welcome Alpha Bah, Director Standards Quality Assurance for The Gambian Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, and John Beer, a Director at Teach the Teacher, to St John's on the first day back to school in January. Our visitors observed a Year 7 lesson led by our Head of Computing and Head of English. Mr Bah was particularly interested in witnessing the application of 21st-century, computer-based teaching and learning in the classroom. The students utilised Chromebooks, Google Classroom and Form, as well as the free educational online game Blooket to demonstrate how technology can be seamlessly integrated into their learning, assessment, and play.
For the past two years, our Head of Computing and Mr Beer have been leading a project to introduce technology in schools in The Gambia. As a result, they have been officially appointed as consultants for the Education Ministry in The Gambia. It was emphasised to our students during the visit that the introduction of technology and internet connectivity in Gambian schools will greatly benefit Gambian children by providing them with increased access to opportunities and a broader education. Our children answered Mr Bah's questions enthusiastically and engaged in a healthy debate about technology in the classroom. They also conducted internet research to find various facts about The Gambia, which Mr. Bah provided commentary on. This visit was highly positive for all parties.
"Mr Bah was extremely impressed by what he saw of the school and the children; who were vital to the success of the visit. He is now planning to report back to the Education Minister next week and encourage her to put her full backing behind our outreach work. Based on what he observed, Mr Bah would like us to set up a 'proof of concept' in a number of government schools in The Gambia to demonstrate to his Government the enormous impact that computer-based teaching and learning can have on improving standards of education in his country."
