Yahya Faal, principal of Bansang Upper Basic School in the Central River Region recently published a 75-page book on Gambian history. The book which history students of our secondary schools would find useful according to the author has taken him three years to be accomplished.  Some 500 copies of the book are currently in store at the Bansang SSS for those who wish to grab a copy.

Yahya Faal was born in Bansang in 1972. He attended Bansang primary School in 1979-1985, and Armitage High School from1985-1990.

After completing elementary school, he taught as an unqualified teacher at Sutukoba in Region Six from 1991-1993. He laterattended the Gambia College in Brikama from 1993-1995 where he obtained a Primary Teachers Certificate (PTC).

Upon completion of the PTC program at the Gambia College, he was posted to Kiang Kiaf in Region 4 where he spent four years. He was later moved to Dongoro-Ba primary school also in Region Four from1999-2004. While at Dongoro-Ba, he was privileged to win the ‘Best teacher regional’ award of 2003.

Still in the teaching profession, Faal was later moved to Bansang Upper Basic School in 2004 where he taught English Language and Literature before proceeding to the University of The Gambia in 2005, to study education and history. After acquiring his first degree in education, he was deployed to Bansang Senior Secondary School where he taught history and English Language.

During his three-year tenure at the school from 2008- January 2011, he concentrated in the teaching of history using his research notes. Due to the success of students who studied history using his notes, Faal was motivated to transform those notes into a book so as to further enhance the performance of his students in history and as well accord other students who are not privileged to join Bansang SSS the opportunity to access the notes through the book.

While urging school heads to get a copy of the book and also support their staff who want to develop the culture of writing, Principal Faal also challenged teachers to develop the culture of authoring books.He also thanked the government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Basic and Secondary education for the support given to him.