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Globalization, International Education Policy and Local Policy Formation pp 59–80Cite as

Education for All and the Global-Local Interface: A Case Study of The Gambia

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Part of the book series: Policy Implications of Research in Education ((PIRE,volume 5))

Abstract

In this chapter we examine the significance of global Education for All (EFA) policy and practice in the context of educational development in West Africa, particularly in relation to the concept and goal of country ownership. More specifically, to illuminate key successes, opportunities and challenges at the global-local interface of efforts to achieve quality basic education for all, we present a case study of EFA policy and practice in The Gambia. Our analysis, in addition to being influenced by the authors’ decades of professional experiences and observations in the field of education in The Gambia, is based on data drawn from semi-structured interviews with government officials and representatives from civil society involved in EFA policy and advocacy, as well as document analysis. Our findings, set against the backdrop of globalization and its effects on education policy and practice, reveal both tensions and opportunities with respect to EFA in particular and policy ownership more broadly.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    World Bank, Global Partnership for Education and the World Bank, available at http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTEDUCATION/0,,contentMDK:20278663~menuPK:617564~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:282386,00.html, accessed on December 15, 2011.

  2. 2.

    The five guiding principles are, (a) Ownership by countries; (b) Alignment with countries’ strategies, systems, and procedures; (c) Harmonisation of donors’ actions; (d) Managing for results; and, (e) Mutual accountability (OECD 2005; Wood et al. 2008).

  3. 3.

    Mr. Matarr Baldeh is the National Coordinator for the Education for All Campaign Network (EFANET) in The Gambia, and is a sitting member of the Local Education Group (LEG). He has also been actively involved in global and national-level EFA policy and practice advocacy by being a member of the GCE and EFA/FTI boards, as well as UNESCO’s CCNGO/EFA. In addition to ten years of research experience on issues of gender and education policy in The Gambia, Dr. Caroline Manion has been actively involved in global EFA advocacy and research.

  4. 4.

    In total, six interviews were conducted with high-level government officials, representatives from various civil society organizations, and professional associations active in the education sector.

  5. 5.

    Since the mid-1990s there have been several policy documents that have detailed sector priorities and programmatic strategies for educational development in the country, and as such were included in our analysis: National Education Policy 1988–2003; Education Master Plan 1998–2005; National Education for All Action Plan; National Education Policy 2004–2015; and, Education Sector Strategic Plan 2006–2015. The recently completed mid-term review of the current National Education Policy (NEP) 2004–2015 and new Education Sector Strategy Plan 2013–2022 (please note this is still in draft form) represents the most up to date document representing the government’s intentions in the sector, and has been recently been endorsed by the Local Donor Group as the basis for further funding through the GPE Fund.

  6. 6.

    Key education sector donors include UNICEF (lead in-country donor until 2009), World Food Programme (current lead in-country donor representing the Local Education Group), the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the African Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and the other UN Funds and Programmes, and the World Bank (IDA) (World Bank 2009b).

  7. 7.

    A delegation of Gambian officials participated in the conference.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Education for All Campaign Network, Banjul, The Gambia

    Matarr Baldeh

  2. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Caroline (Carly) Manion

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  1. Matarr Baldeh
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  2. Caroline (Carly) Manion
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Correspondence to Matarr Baldeh .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy, Graduate School of Education, Fordham University, New York, New York, USA

    Carolyn A. Brown

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Baldeh, M., Manion, C.(. (2015). Education for All and the Global-Local Interface: A Case Study of The Gambia. In: Brown, C. (eds) Globalization, International Education Policy and Local Policy Formation. Policy Implications of Research in Education, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4165-2_5

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