Education Minister Says Teacher Shortage, Student Anxiety Are Hampering Mathematics Performance

By Seedy Jobe

The Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Habibatou Drammeh, says a shortage of qualified mathematics teachers remains one of the biggest challenges affecting students’ performance in the subject, alongside low enrollment in mathematics at the tertiary level and a widespread fear of the subject among students.

Speaking in an interview with QTV on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Dr. Drammeh sought to clarify a recent newspaper headline that suggested poor performance in mathematics was largely due to a lack of teachers. She said the shortage is certainly part of the problem, but the issue is more complex.

According to Dr. Drammeh, English has seen improvements partly because schools now have more trained teachers, supported by continued professional development. Mathematics, she said, remains a more pressing concern.

In some schools, there are simply no dedicated mathematics teachers, leaving administrators to rely on other teachers to fill the gap.

“Sometimes you go to schools, and you realize it because some schools will tell you that we don’t have a math teacher,” she said.

Dr. Drammeh said the shortage begins at the tertiary level, where relatively few students choose to specialize in mathematics.

She said the University of The Gambia’s School of Education, formerly Gambia College, has the capacity to train more mathematics teachers, but the number graduating each year is still not enough to meet the country’s needs.

The challenge, she added, is not only about increasing the number of teachers. The ministry also needs to strengthen the skills of those already teaching mathematics.

Another obstacle, Dr. Drammeh said, is the fear many students have developed toward the subject, often because of past experiences or the perception that mathematics is simply too difficult.

To address that, she said the ministry plans to take a broader look at how mathematics is taught in schools, with a focus on making the subject more appealing to students, improving teaching methods, and increasing the number of qualified teachers.

Technology could also play a role. Dr. Drammeh said the ministry is exploring the use of artificial intelligence tutors and other digital tools that could make mathematics lessons more interactive and engaging.

“I’m sure if we have mathematical tutors, AI tutors who are going to be fun in teaching the maths, that will also be another area that will help strengthen mathematics in our schools,” she said.

Dr. Drammeh said scholarships are already available to encourage students to pursue mathematics, while teachers posted to remote schools receive additional allowances. However, improvements in road infrastructure have reduced the number of schools officially classified as “hard to reach,” she noted.

She also acknowledged concerns about teachers’ pay, saying salaries still need to improve despite progress made over the years.

“We still want the salaries of our teachers to be better than what they are paid now. But again, as a country, we have come a long way,” she said.

Ultimately, Dr. Drammeh said improving mathematics performance will require more than one solution. The country needs to train more mathematics teachers, strengthen the skills of those already in classrooms, change students’ attitudes toward the subject and embrace new approaches that make mathematics easier and more engaging to learn.