Nursery education in The Gambia is getting more and more expensive and out of reach for many families adding an unsustainable financial burden on families already struggling with high food prices, expensive transport, rising rent and falling purchasing power. The government of President Adama Barrow and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education must urgently intervene before thousands of children are denied early education because their parents cannot afford the fees.
A 2026/2027 fee schedule issued by Wellingara CIS Nursery School shows that parents must pay D3,200 for the first term, including a D600 development fee, D2,400 in tuition and D200 for a reading book. They must then pay D2,400 in both the second and third terms, bringing the annual bill to D8,000 per child. This excludes uniforms, learning materials, transport, meals and other expenses.
For families with two or three school-age children, these costs can consume a substantial part of their income. Many parents survive on low and irregular earnings and must already choose between buying food, paying rent, seeking medical treatment and keeping their children in school. Education should not become a privilege reserved for financially comfortable families.
The continued silence of the Education Ministry is unacceptable. School fees appear to be increased regularly without sufficient public oversight, consultation or clear justification. If schools are allowed to determine and raise charges without effective regulation, fees will continue climbing while parents continue suffering.
While there are sensible costs involved in running nursery schools, these should not be used to impose open-ended financial demands on families. The government needs to introduce a transparent fee regulation system, insist that schools seek approval for increases and look into complaints from parents. Every charge should be clearly explained, justified and communicated before the academic year begins.
President Barrow’s government must also increase support for early-childhood education, expand affordable public nursery schools and provide assistance to vulnerable households. The Education Ministry should immediately engage school administrators, parent-teacher associations and communities to find a fair solution.
Early-childhood education provides the foundation for a child’s future development. Allowing excessive fees to force children out of classrooms deepens inequality and undermines national progress. The government must act now. Parents cannot be expected to endure endless increases while the authorities responsible for protecting access to education remain silent.
By Salieu Njie
