By Saikou Suwareh Jabai
A consortium led by Gambia Teachers Union (GTU), aimed at promoting the rights of students in schools, has on Thursday 31st 
March, 2016, commenced a two-day development and review session on right 5 and right 10 of the Promoting Rights in Schools (PRS) Framework at the Gambia Teachers Union secretariat in Kanifing. Right 5 of the framework deals with the Right to a safe and non-violent environment while Right 10 indicates the Right to quality learning.
The PRS Framework was launched by Action Aid International The Gambia (AAITG) in 2010 and in 2011, its implementation began in six countries in Africa through the Action for Children’s Rights in Education (ACER) Project. Its overall goal is ensuring that girls and children with disabilities gain access to free, quality public education. The Framework also seeks to ensure an ‘ideal’ school that guarantees better learner outcome, support to pupils’ learning and facilitates the achievement of national targets for education.
The objectives of the program, according to officials, is to, amongst others, develop a participatory and empowering process with parents, children, teachers and others that will generate rigorous data on one or more of the 10 core education rights.
Speaking shortly before the session began, the General Secretary of GTU, Mrs. Annette Corr- Jack said the activity will help the member organizations of the consortium to develop user-friendly instruments that will be used to facilitate the successful survey of the researchers who will be sent to the fields to garner relevant information regarding the attainment of these rights. She said day one of the program is programmed to review the laid documents whiles the final day; technicians will converge to meticulously scrutinize the materials and finally validate it. The general secretary implored the participants to work as a team and come up with user-friendly instruments to ease the process of achieving the objectives of the framework.
The consortium, funded by Action-Aid International, comprises of the GTU, FAWEGAM, CPA, EFA-Net, NSGA and ACTIVISTA.
