SOS Schools in Gambia

Only two-thirds of primary-age children in Gambia attend primary school.

In Gambia, there are currently three SOS Schools and two SOS Nurseries.  These facilities provide education to children from SOS Villages and from the wider community. Staff members are well trained and the resources available to students are of a high standard.  Below you can find an overview on the SOS Children education projects.

Children in Gambia

At school, children are taught in their mother tongue of French. Outside school, Muslim children attend ‘Daras’, classes where they learn the Koran. Here, they meet with friends and are proud to learn Arabic.

Bakoteh : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Bakoteh has over 220 children, with around 190 from the local community and 30 from the SOS village:

• Teachers attend regular workshops on curriculum and child development topics so that the best possible programme of education is provided to the children, alongside games and physical activities.
• As well as an annual graduation day, the school holds a sports day each year when the children take part in various sporting and fun events.  

The SOS Lower and Upper School at Bakoteh has over 800 students, around 50 coming from the SOS village. School teaching sessions are divided into morning and afternoon shifts, with around 400 students in each.

• As well as providing a quality education to pupils, the school offers a range of sporting and cultural activities. A new canteen and the setting up of a Student Welfare Committee have improved the general well-being of students at the school.
• The school has been asked to participate in the programme to plant one million trees sponsored by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).
• Recently, 300 students graduated from the SOS Technical Senior Secondary School at Bakoteh, completing 3 years of further education in subjects such as business studies and social sciences.

Basse : SOS Schools

The SOS Nursery at Basse has 4 teachers and 3 support staff who teach the children in three groups according to age.

• Children are taught through play and learning, and are supported where necessary by extra classes and counselling sessions.
• Christmas and Tobaski parties are held each year for the children and the school also holds an annual sports day and graduation day.

The SOS Lower and Upper School at Basse was founded in 2007 and is committed to providing the highest standards of education.

• Currently the school offers teaching up to Grade 5 and 6, but hopes to introduce an Upper Basic cycle of learning in the near future. For literacy, the school incorporates ‘Jolly phonics’ and ‘Montessori’ methods in its teaching programme.
• As well as academic schooling, extracurricular activities such as sports and drama clubs are run by the school. At the end of each term, quizzes and inter-house football competitions are held. Children are taken on regular field trips, such as a recent outing to the Meteorological Station.