MINISTER OF BASIC AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Claudiana Ayo Cole
DOB: 15th of October 1958
Place of Birth: Banjul, The Gambia
Education: Ms. Cole holds a Master of Education degree in Educational Management from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Philosophy degree with distinction in Educational Management from the same university
Work Experience: Honourable Cole served in the Barrow Cabinet as Minister of Basic and Secondary Education from 2017-2022, when she was re-appointed to the same post in May 2022. Ms. Cole was a carrier educationalist with extensive experience in both rural and urban Gambia. For 36 years, she has held various positions in the country’s education sector, including Headmistress of various schools, and rose to the rank of Regional Education Director. Also, Madam Cole was Assistant Examiner for the West African Examinations Council and a Member of the English Panel of the Curriculum Research and Development Centre
The Minister has participated in numerous national and international workshops, seminars and conferences on education. She has contributed immensely to educational policy reviews and developments in education in The Gambia, among other things, producing a book and some poems that have been used in Gambian schools.
One of Ms. Cole’s many passions is helping children, and especially girls, excel in their education.