Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
In The Gambia, the official entry age for pre-primary education is 3 years old. During 2007 and 2025 the net enrolment rate for pre-primary education rose from 17.07% to 43.58%, while data on the number of years of free and compulsory pre-primary education are not available.
Governance
Responsibility for the financing and oversight of pre-primary education (Early Childhood Development, ECD) in The Gambia lies primarily with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE). The ministry oversees ECD policy implementation for children aged 3 to 6 years, including the regulation of four levels of ECD programmes as defined in the Education Sector Strategic Plan (2016-2030). The government promotes the integration of pre-primary education into the public school system by annexing ECD centres to existing primary schools. Government-run ECD centres are largely attached to primary school facilities and receive indirect support through school grants, while the ministry directly finances government ECD and community-based centres. In addition, it provides subventions to Madrassa and Mission umbrella organisations, which in turn cover teacher salaries in Madrassa and Mission ECD centres. The ministry is also responsible for funding teacher training and supervising all ECD centres.
Tuition-free status
Pre-primary education is not tuition-free in The Gambia.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
No evidence was found of dedicated public funding mechanisms for pre-primary education in The Gambia. Public financing for Early Childhood Development is managed centrally by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE). While MoBSE’s operations are partially decentralised through Regional Education Directorates, financial management remains largely centralised. Private pre-primary provision receives no direct public subsidies, and no explicit equity-based allocation criteria were identified.
2. Education resources to institutions
According to the Children’s Act (2005), the state may provide additional financial and technical support to Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centres in deprived and rural areas, many of which are integrated into lower basic schools. Building on this framework, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) introduced the Annexation Strategy to expand access to ECCE for orphaned and vulnerable children in underserved communities by integrating ECCE centres into existing lower basic schools. Rural and deprived areas were deliberately prioritised, as children in these locations face persistent barriers to ECCE access related to distance, limited availability, and user fees.
School Improvement Grant (SIG)
The government supports pre-primary education primarily by annexing pre-schools to existing public lower basic schools, with indirect public financing for annexed government ECD centres channelled through school-level funding mechanisms, notably School Improvement Grants. Within this framework, the School Improvement Grant (SIG) was introduced in 2013 by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), with support from development partners, as a strategic funding mechanism to improve education quality, reduce disparities in resource allocation, and enable schools to respond to local needs. SIG funding targets disadvantaged schools, particularly those in rural and hard-to-reach areas, with schools located more than three kilometres from a main road classified as hardship schools for allocation purposes. Annual grant amounts vary by school level and hardship status, and funds may be used to improve access and learning conditions for marginalised groups, including children enrolled in annexed ECD centres.
3. Education resources to students and families
No evidence was found of student-level financial support schemes administered by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) for pre-primary education.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
The Nafa Cash Transfer Programme is a national social protection programme overseen by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare. The programme provides regular cash transfers to vulnerable households selected based on poverty and vulnerability criteria, with geographic targeting that prioritises rural and disadvantaged areas. Under the expanded phase, beneficiary households receive D3,000 every two months, alongside Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) sessions. The SBCC component places a strong emphasis on early childhood development, childcare, and child protection practices as it encourages parents to prioritise care and support for children at a very early stage of life.
Beneficiaries have indicated that the transfers have enabled them to better meet children’s basic needs, including food and care.
