By Fatou Dahaba
Yassin Senghore, Board Chairperson of The Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC), disclosed that a study conducted by GCCPC on the state of competition and consumer welfare in Basic and Secondary Schools has uncovered serious violations of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act by schools, mostly private schools in regions one and two.
She made this disclosure on Thursday, October 17th, 2024, at the validation session of the study report held in Kololi.
In line with its mandate under section 15(k) of the Competition Act 2007 and section 16(1) of the Consumer Protection Act 2014, the Commission conducted a nationwide school study in basic and secondary schools.
The study aimed to assess the state of competition and consumer welfare in these sectors and offer mechanisms to make them more competitive and consumer-oriented.
She added that bookstores’ and stationeries’ popular “24-hour Return Policy” contravenes the Consumer Protection Act of 2014.
According to her, the issues highlighted in the study form the basis of the report’s validation, which aims to collectively chart a collaborative way forward with stakeholders and partners for implementing the study recommendations, hence ensuring an inclusive and equitable education system.
She also informed that the study delves deep into the challenges students and families face, such as unfair market practices and anti-competitive behavior perpetrated by schools and other key players in the value chain, especially book and uniform dealers can retard access to quality education.
Louis Moses Mendy, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, acknowledges that all the issues highlighted are of major concern to the Ministry.
He said that in the past years, the Ministry has introduced new policies and regulations, such as the Education Sector Policy 2016-2030, amongst others, to help tackle some of the very important issues in the report.
However, he disclosed that it is important to note that some of these issues must be addressed collectively with all relevant stakeholders, saying that joint stakeholder enforcement, advocacy, and awareness creation are critical to tackling some highlighted issues more sustainably.
Mendy stated that the study’s recommendations must be implemented. He further reassured his Ministry’s willingness to cooperate with the Commission and other relevant partners to constitute a committee examining the study’s findings and recommendations for effective implementation.
He revealed that through collaborative cooperation, the Basic and Secondary Education sector will implement the recommendations in a timely manner to have a meaningful impact on the lives of the students and their families.
PS Moses also urged GCCPU to conduct a similar study in the rapidly transforming tertiary education sector.
Lamin Dampha, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Employment, and Regional Integration, said the findings underscore both the achievements and the gaps in the educational framework, such as unequal access to education, inflated tuition fees, and the sometimes opaque nature of service offerings, challenges that must be addressed.
He stated that these challenges disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations—children from low-income households and those in rural areas.
He said this situation is not only a consumer protection issue but also a human rights issue that directly affects the future workforce and the country’s economic competitiveness.
Dampha further stated his Ministry’s commitment to safeguarding the rights of consumers across all sectors, including education. He said they were dedicated to fostering an environment where educational institutions would be held accountable to the highest transparency, fairness, and affordability standards.
