[{"bbox": [97, 152, 1132, 283], "category": "Text", "text": "The action (foreseen for a duration of 5 years) aims to support the Government of The Gambia, specifically the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) in addressing the challenges the SSE system is facing by improving the completion rates of both boys and girls through strengthened inclusivity, quality and equity amongst students and teachers, with a focus on rural areas."}, {"bbox": [97, 285, 1132, 418], "category": "Text", "text": "The action specifically aims at: i) increasing completion rates for boys and girls in secondary education and preventing drop outs; ii) improving the quality of SSE through improvements in teacher education, including building capacities to develop basic, green and digital competences of learners. This entails support to both in-service and pre-service teacher training; and iii) supporting the transition of girls to tertiary education to proceed with a teaching career."}, {"bbox": [97, 444, 1132, 630], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will directly address the Government of the Gambia's priorities, as set out in the National Development Plan and the National Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP 2016-2030) in provision of accessible, equitable, inclusive and quality education for the sustainable development of the country. The development of teacher training activities and revisions to the SSE curriculum will allow integration of topics such as gender, the environment and climate change, science and technology (including ITC), health (including reproductive health, hygiene and sanitation), civic education. Furthermore, the action will also support the transformation of the Gambia College School of Education into a University of Education (as decided by Government)."}, {"bbox": [97, 656, 1132, 737], "category": "Text", "text": "Improving education is one of the strategic priorities of the Gambian Nationally Determined Contributions for Climate Change³ and this action will support the implementation. Support for digitalisation in teaching and learning underpins the overall logic of the intervention in priority areas."}, {"bbox": [97, 763, 1132, 896], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will assist in overcoming negative sociocultural norms and practices, such as child marriage, Gender Based Violence, masculinisation of the teaching force, and the inadequate number of female role models in secondary education. Therefore, the Action will contribute to the fulfilment of the EU Gender Action Plan 2021-2025 GAP III⁴, in particular to its thematic area of engagement “Promoting economic and social rights and empowering girls and women”."}, {"bbox": [97, 922, 1132, 1025], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will also support students with disabilities (both at SSE and Gambia College) and will enhance the capacity of teachers to assist this vulnerable group. As such, it will contribute to the implementation of the EU Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities⁵, and the EU's Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024.⁶"}, {"bbox": [97, 1053, 1132, 1132], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will capitalise on the Gambia Sustainable Energy Project Component 4 which provides energy units for schools (blending operation implemented by the European Investment Bank (EIB) with EU funding). It will also coordinate with MRC Holland Foundation, one of the main donors for infrastructure works in education."}, {"bbox": [97, 1160, 1132, 1293], "category": "Text", "text": "Finally, the action will be complementary to the Action “Sustainable Value Chains” (AAP 2024): by educating and skilling youth, particularly women, their chances to benefit from green employment opportunities in the agricultural sector and successfully access to finance for agri-food systems development will be increased. In the same vein, it will complement the support to the Tourism (Youth Empowerment Programme on Tourism - AAP 2023) and the skills development and youth employability agenda under the migration portfolio."}, {"bbox": [117, 1307, 535, 1338], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 1.3 Zone benefitting from the Action"}, {"bbox": [97, 1353, 1103, 1381], "category": "Text", "text": "The Action shall be carried out in the Republic of The Gambia, country included in the list of ODA recipients."}, {"bbox": [86, 1525, 711, 1550], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³Second NDC of The Republic of The Gambia-16-12-2021.pdf (unfccc.int)"}, {"bbox": [86, 1550, 390, 1572], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁴JOIN(2020) 17 final of 25.11.2020"}, {"bbox": [86, 1572, 855, 1598], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁵https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8376&furtherPubs=yes"}, {"bbox": [86, 1598, 369, 1621], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶JOIN(2020) 5 final of 25.3.2020"}, {"bbox": [1130, 1654, 1144, 1675], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "4"}]