1.      Sub-regional workshop for educational leadership on devising learning materials and curricula and the development of design, training and assessment methods,  14^th -  16^th October 2008.

Introduction

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) in collaboration with the World Islamic Call Society (WICS) sponsored a sub-regional workshop for educational leaders on devising learning materials and curricula and the development of design, training and assessment methods in The Gambia. The workshop was organized by the Gambia National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM) from 14^th - 16th October 2008, at Sunset Beach Hotel, Kotu Stream.

The workshop was part of ISESCO’s implementation of its Action Plan 2007-2009 which aimed at developing Arabic teaching curricula, mechanisms and methods to help improve the quality of training, as well as diversify teaching methods and benefit from ICT applications in the effort to boost quality in Arabic teaching programmes in Member States for which Arab is a foreign language. The workshop attracted participants from 7 African countries in the sub-region, namely: Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Mali, Niger, Senegal and The Gambia. The proceedings of the workshop was posted on the ISESCO website.

Recommendations

The following recommendations emerged from the workshop:

·        to improve and review the Arabic and Islamic Education Curricula of the non-Arabic speaking countries. Education leaders shall revisit these curricula to make them more responsive to the needs of their people.

·        to try to resolve the challenges of the synchronization of  Arabic language curricula with English or French or Portuguese curricula

·        to render the Arabic/Islamic Education Curricula of non-Arabic speaking countries more relevant to their historical and socio-cultural needs in order to create employment opportunities.

·        to establish educational teaching/training centres in  West African countries and devise means to sustain them, and consolidate their spiritual and communication functions.  The centres should be devoted to the training of trainers and the development of curricula that are relevant to the African environment.

·        to consolidate efforts of the teacher training centres in these countries in order to intensify training of trainers in the field of education.

·        to embark upon continuous training of teachers so as to refresh and improve on their knowledge and skills in their teaching profession.

·        to train local experts who will in turn train textbook writers in the Arabic language, Islamic Education, and writing Arabic textbooks for non-native speakers.

·        to invite Islamic organizations and Islamic Banks to finance Arabic Islamic books production and other relevant syllabi in collaboration with the competent authorities.

·        to identify  pilot  schools that will be fully equipped with electronic teaching and learning aids.

·        to intensify staff training in the area of educational technology .

·        to encourage students of conventional schools to choose Arabic language as a foreign language. This can be done by making Arabic as attractive as other languages, and also by the provision of the relevant teaching/learning aids.

2.      National training session in the field of modernizing Islamic education teaching methods,  26 – 29 May 2008

Introduction

As part of its Action Plan 2007-2009, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and the Munazzamat Al Dawa Al Islamiyya in cooperation with the Gambia National Commission for UNESCO organised a National Training Session in the field of Modernizing Islamic Education Teaching Methods at the Corinthia Atlantic Hotel in Banjul. The training was part of the continued efforts of ISESCO to equip the participants with expertise and skills necessary in the improvement of educational endeavour.

The 5 day training aimed to promote Islamic Education in the educational system of non-Arab Member States. It was attended by thirty (30) Islamic Education teachers chosen from the different islamic educational institutions in the country and was conducted by an external expert (Dr. Ahmad Zabakh) from ISESCO and a national expert, (Mr Husainou Touray) in the field of Islamic Education in The Gambia.

Participants were exposed to the use of the internet in teaching and learning as well as various teaching aids and equipment such as multimedia projectors, overhead projectors etc

Recommendations

The participants came up with the following recommendations: 

1.      The training on the use of modern information technology materials in Islamic education should be conducted nationwide for the benefit of leaders and other teachers of Quranic schools and Islamic institutions in The Gambia.

2.      Training on supervision and monitoring of Arabic Islamic Education should be consolidated.

3.      Training on curriculum design and development is required.

4.      ISESCO should provide scholarships for Islamic and Arabic Education postgraduate courses.