MoBSE Says Grade 12 Results Show Slow Progress, Persistent Learning Gaps

Written by: Dawda Baldeh

The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has described The Gambia’s 2026 Grade 12 examination performance as a sign of gradual progress, while acknowledging persistent weaknesses in key subjects, particularly English and Mathematics.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, following the release of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results earlier this week, Basic and Secondary Education Minister Dr. Habibatou Drammeh said performance had improved compared with last year, although the gains remained modest.

“The English language and the mathematics scores still remain low, but they are better than the previous year’s results, especially last year’s results,” Dr. Drammeh said.

According to figures presented by the Ministry at the briefing, a total of 20,610 candidates attempted the 2026 WASSCE, with results for 19,762 candidates fully processed at the time and about 848 results pending.

The Minister attributed the persistent weaknesses in literacy and numeracy to several factors, including a shortage of qualified Mathematics teachers.

She said the government is prioritising foundational learning and introducing new approaches aimed at improving students’ performance.

“As a country, I think this is an area that we continue to work hard to strengthen, and this is why the reforms that the ministry is championing are geared towards strengthening the foundational literacy and numeracy,” she said.

Dr. Drammeh also stressed that academic success requires commitment from students, teachers, parents and communities, calling on families to provide stronger support for learners outside the classroom.

Addressing the performance gap between rural and urban schools, the Minister said the 2026 results showed that students in rural schools can compete strongly when provided with committed teachers and the right learning environment.

Several rural schools, including Sabi Senior Secondary School and Njaawara Senior Secondary School, featured among the top-performing schools.

“Rural, urban, it just takes hard work. It takes hard work to succeed,” she said.

Dr. Drammeh also warned that private schools that consistently underperform could face closure.

“If they remain to be underperforming and not producing any credit scores for our children in this country, we will close them down,” she said.

Permanent Secretary Louis Moses Mendy meanwhile addressed concerns surrounding examination malpractice and withheld results, explaining that a national committee comprising education stakeholders is reviewing suspected cases before final decisions are made.

“It’s a whole process, because you’re talking about the children’s lives. So it’s not like those whose results are withheld, that is the end for them. No,” Mendy said.

He said students found innocent after the review would have their results released, while those found to have engaged in malpractice could lose their results in the affected subject or, depending on the severity of the offence, their entire examination results.

The Ministry also warned that examination centres found to have facilitated malpractice could be deregistered, while teachers, supervisors, principals or other officials involved could face sanctions.

Beyond the examination results, Dr. Drammeh highlighted broader investments in the education sector, including increased enrolment, classroom construction, teacher accommodation, school rehabilitation, school feeding and digital systems designed to identify students at risk of dropping out.

She said the government is also moving towards competency-based assessment, with greater emphasis on skills rather than memorisation.

Despite the challenges, the Minister maintained that the reforms are beginning to produce results.

“I see light at the end of the tunnel. I see that the reforms are working, but slowly. The reforms are working slowly,” she said.

Dr. Drammeh said the results should not lead to complacency and called for higher standards from schools, teachers, parents and students, particularly in English and Mathematics, to achieve sustained improvements in learning outcomes.