Time to Teach: Teacher Attendance and Time on Task in Primary Schools in The Gambia

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Foreign Countries; Teacher Attendance; Time Management; Teacher Behavior; Employee Absenteeism; Teaching Conditions; Teacher Salaries; Teacher Employment Benefits; Language of Instruction; Accountability; Public Schools; Private Schools; Educational Resources; Housing; Transportation; Climate; Parent Participation; Faculty Workload; Instructional Leadership; Leadership Responsibility; Principals; Health; Family Work Relationship; Barriers; Social Responsibility; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Classroom Techniques; Faculty Development; Teacher Responsibility; Preschool Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Teaching Skills; Teacher Education; Elementary Schools; COVID-19; Pandemics

The international standards for teaching time in a year are 880 hours. In The Gambia, dedicated teaching time in a year is 734 hours. This reduced time is exacerbated by teacher absenteeism that varies across the different regions in the country from 12 to 30%, and is a barrier to achieving the required learning outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic is compounding an already compromised learning and teaching environment in The Gambia. This Time to Teach study looks at four dimensions of teacher attendance: being in school; being punctual (i.e., not arriving late/leaving early); being in the classroom (while in school); and spending sufficient time on task (while in the classroom). It also identifies factors associated with teacher absenteeism at five different levels of the education system: national, subnational, community, school, and teacher. This report provides recommendations that may help strengthen the ministry's efforts to improve teachers' time on task in The Gambia.

As Provided

2022

ED619465