By Mama A. Touray
Following the adoption of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Education, ICT, and Training’s recommendation that the Government should place a ban and sanction on reckless driving, particularly “stunting,” by students or around school premises, National Assembly members for Sannehmentereng and Serrekunda constituencies welcomed the idea and urged that the recommendation be further broadened.
The recommendation emerged from a report on visits to private schools, madrasas, GSM operators, ISPs (Internet Service Providers), and TVET institutions conducted by the NA Standing Committee on Education. This was part of its mandate to conduct oversight on educational institutions, ministries, departments, and agencies dealing with education, training, and ICT. The visit aimed to ensure that these institutions are properly conducting their state-mandated duties to enhance efficiency and transparency in their service delivery.
Hon. Fatou Cham, NAM for Sannehmentereng constituency, described the recommendation as laudable, stating that reckless driving, particularly stunting, is becoming an issue in The Gambia, especially during holidays. She noted that sometimes students dodge lessons to rent a car for stunts.
On how to broaden the recommendation beyond school premises, Cham suggested, “It can also be recommended that any student found engaging in reckless driving maneuvers, not only within the school premises but in any area, should be dismissed or expelled.” Cham further referred to car stunts as “a very bad act as this behavior causes accidents.”
Hon. Madi Ceesay, NAM for Serrekunda, shared a similar opinion with Hon. Cham. He suggested, “I would like this recommendation to be broadened to include anyone because car stunts have claimed so many lives. The government should totally ban it in communities.”
Ceesay also urged the committee to consider the lack of security in schools as they recommended the establishment of computer labs in schools. He added that most schools within the Greater Banjul Area are subjected to burglary and theft, citing Serrekunda Primary School as an example.
