National Service Personnel with pedagogical training to be posted to The Gambia

Parliament has passed the National Service Authority Bill, 2024, which aims to establish the National Service Authority. This body will mobilise and deploy individuals qualified for national service to areas of national priority, fostering national development.

A key feature of the bill is the provision for deploying national service personnel with training in pedagogy ( most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners) to teach in The Gambia.

This initiative falls under a contract with The Gambia, facilitated by the World Bank Project. It represents a significant opportunity for the National Service Scheme (NSS) to expand its impact internationally.

The bill, laid in Parliament by the Minister of Education on June 14, 2024, under a certificate of urgency, was passed swiftly following the Committee on Education's determination of its urgent nature. The bill seeks to confer corporate status on the National Service Authority, enabling it to develop and implement policies and programs more effectively. 

Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat, Osei Assibey Antwi, hailed the passage of the bill as a landmark achievement for the NSS. 

He stressed that the new status would enhance entrepreneurship and generate internal funds, reducing reliance on the central government.

The Committee's report highlighted the NSS's critical role in national development by addressing human capacity needs in priority sectors. The scheme aims to instill civic responsibility, discipline, patriotism, national cohesion, and volunteerism in service personnel. Additionally, the modern approach to national service includes various skill-building activities, such as metal fabrication, construction, farming, and catering services.

Challenges under the existing Act, including the lack of corporate status, have hindered the NSS's ability to enter into contracts and manage land acquisitions. The new bill addresses these issues, allowing the NSS to pursue strategic partnerships and capitalize on opportunities like the deployment of pedagogically trained personnel to The Gambia.

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With the next deployment for national service scheduled for September, the timely passage of the bill is crucial to seize these opportunities and enhance the scheme's capacity for national and international development.