In its quest to strengthen their skills as trainers and optimize their development for good delivery, the Curriculum Research Evaluation and Development Directorate (CREDD) unit of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Education (MoBSE) has concluded a weeklong training course on Comprehensive Health Education at the Gambia College for lecturers at the School of Education.
In November 2021, the CREDD initiated an educational relationship between the College and the Directorate to further develop Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) issues, and educational materials, and train more teachers on Comprehensive Health Education (CHE) relative to sexual reproductive health issues.
Twenty lecturers from the college underwent the training. Trainers included doctors from the Ministry of Health, and the University of The Gambia, midwife nurses, and officials from CSO, among others.
Michael Hamadi Secka, in his remarks on behalf of the Director of CREDD, said that CHE is the first of its kind, adding that he was hopeful that at the end of the course trainees would be well equipped with the necessary knowledge to correctly deliver the course effectively.
Mr. Secka who doubled as a trainer assured participants that the course would prepare them for their future engagements with students and help them not only in school but also at home.
Momodou A. Jallow, Head of the School of Education at The Gambia College applauded the collaboration and described the training as essential in their learning process. He added that it is not only students who need to know about sexual and reproductive health but everybody.
Phebian Ina Grant-Sagnia, Principal Investigator of the project Strengthening Access to Quality Comprehensive Health Education for in-and-out of School Adolescents in The Gambia said the training is meant for in-service and pre-service at The Gambia College School of Education.
Ismaila Bojang, a lecturer on Gender at the Gender Department and a focal person for the CHE at The Gambia Collegedisclosed that some teachers were having issues when it comes to the CHE, adding that“people are usually ashamed when you talk about sex.” However, he said as lecturers, they believe when parents and teachers are not talking at home and in schools about reproductive health issues, most students will go astray by acquiring information from the wrong places.
Dr. Jainaba Sey-Sawo, a facilitator delivered a comprehensive lecture on pregnancy prevention, unplanned pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and contraception methods.
Questions were also asked about the side effects of using some family planning methods, the meaning of a safe sex period, the calculation of the monthly cycle illustrated with a pie chart, the delay and bleeding when/after using the contraceptive, and what could be the consequence.
CHE under Strengthening Access to Quality Comprehensive Health Education in The Gambia is an implementation research project by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) and funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) meant to enlighten and educate in and out-of-school students on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH).
