Prof. Gomez Unveils Plan to Expand Professional Career Pathways for Madrassa Graduates

By Makutu Manneh

Professor Pierre Gomez, the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, has outlined a government plan to broaden educational and career opportunities for madrassa graduates by giving them greater access to professional fields traditionally associated with conventional schools.

Speaking on Kerr Fatou, Professor Gomez said the initiative is intended to enable students with backgrounds in Arabic and Islamic studies to pursue careers in fields including engineering, medicine, nursing, science, computer engineering, tailoring, and carpentry.

The goal, he said, is to create an education system in which attending a madrassa does not limit a student’s professional prospects.

Responding to concerns about how madrassa students, many of whom receive much of their instruction in Arabic, could transition into those fields, Professor Gomez pointed to his recent visit to Saudi Arabia. He said he observed professionals there who were educated in Arabic but were also able to communicate effectively in English, giving them access to broader academic and professional opportunities.

Professor Gomez said the government intends to strengthen the teaching of English, mathematics, and other core subjects in madrassas. He said the approach would build on efforts already underway by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, which has introduced some conventional subjects into madrassa curricula.

The aim, he said, is to ensure that students continue studying those subjects as they progress through the education system, including at the university level.

Professor Gomez argued that madrassa students should have the same opportunities as other Gambians, noting that they are citizens and taxpayers but often face limited employment prospects within the civil service and other professional sectors.

As a result, he said, many graduates are left with a narrow range of career options, often centered on becoming Islamic teachers, commonly known as “Oustass,” or imams.

“Madrassas constitute 20 to 25 percent of the senior secondary school student population,” Professor Gomez said. “This is a significant number that cannot be overlooked.”

He said private Islamic universities could also expand their curricula to include programs in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, commonly known as STEAM, giving their students additional pathways into the labor market.

Professor Gomez also said emerging fields such as artificial intelligence should not be reserved for students educated in conventional schools.

Beginning next year, he said, the ministry plans to introduce artificial intelligence as a general education requirement across public universities in The Gambia.

Professor Gomez said the growing importance of artificial intelligence in education and the workplace has prompted universities around the world to incorporate it into their programs, adding that The Gambia must adapt to the changing academic and technological landscape.