By Yankuba Jallow
In a rare public intervention that drew the room to silence, Ndey Ceesay, a young woman with a disability, rose through her interpreter to ask the country’s education leaders a question that has haunted her and her peers for years: Why must deaf students sit for an oral English examination they can never pass?
Speaking through Lamin Sonko, one of The Gambia’s leading sign language interpreters, Ceesay began by thanking the government for its investments in education but quickly shifted to the frustration shared by students like her. “My colleagues want the government to eradicate oral English in the Grade 12 examination for senior secondary schools because it puts them at a disadvantage,” she said.
She explained that despite their efforts, the system was designed against them. “This year some persons with disabilities got good grades, but they all failed English Language examinations,” she said.
At the senior secondary level, English is broken into three parts: objective questions, theory — which includes comprehension, summary and essay writing — and finally, oral English, which requires students to listen to a pre-recorded tape and answer questions. “The oral paper puts them to a disadvantage because they all will score zero because they cannot hear,” Ceesay said. “This was why they all failed English Language.”
Her testimony cut to the heart of an inequity long ignored in the school system. For deaf students, English remains a mandatory subject to progress into higher education. Failing it can erase years of hard work, making their future uncertain.
Dr. Habibatou Drammeh, the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, listened intently before responding. “Education is a right and must be made convenient to everyone to access it,” she said. She acknowledged the concern and pledged to act. “We will consult with WAEC to address the issue,” she added, referring to the West African Examinations Council, which oversees national exams.
The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Louise Moses Mendy, went further. “Already, we have considered dropping oral English,” he said. “The government will push to drop oral English examinations.”
Dr. Drammeh, reflecting on the larger responsibility, said the matter was part of the government’s broader commitment to inclusion. “This also goes a long way to create the environment that is conducive enough for the child’s education to take place effectively,” she said.
The exchange captured the spirit of the Mansakunda program, an initiative designed to bring government closer to the people. For Ceesay, it was a chance to speak directly to the officials who determine her future. For the Ministry, it was a reminder that reforming education requires not just building classrooms and training teachers but listening to the voices of those most often left behind.
