H.E. CLAUDIANA AYO COLE

Minister of Basic and Secondary Education

Claudiana Ayo Cole Is The Current Minister Of Basic And Secondary Education And The First Since H.E Adama Barrow Took Over The reign of the Gambia. She Was One Of The Longest Serving Regional Education Directors In Region Six.

Who is Claudiana Ayo Cole?

Claudiana Ayo Cole became the Minister for the Basic and Secondary Education following the inauguration of President Adama Barrow 2017. Mrs. Cole was a member of the Senior Management Team of the Ministry and as a director, since 2008 prior to her taking the top office. She was appointed as teacher in 1981 and from 2002 she has served as a senior education administrator.

Early Life and Career

Claudiana Ayo Cole was born on October 15th, 1958 in Banjul, The Gambia. Hon Minister Cole attended Albion infant, Wesley primary and Joseph’s high school and earned her Primary Teachers’ Certificate from the Gambia college in 1981, a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in educational management at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the United Kingdom in 2001. She further pursued a Master of Education degree in educational management at the same University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom in 2006.

After graduation in 1981, Mrs. Cole spent the next 26 years working in the field as a teacher then headmistress, before making her way into educational administration. She was seconded to the African Women Educationalists Gambia Chapter (FAWEGAM) as Senior Education officer. She then rose to become Principal Education Officer in Region Six, Basse.

As the longest-serving educationist in more than three decades, she is known for her work on education policy reforms and management of education even in hard to reach areas of the country.