THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA’S COMBINED REPORT ON THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN & PEOPLES’ RIGHTS & INITIAL REPORT ON THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA  Access to Education: Tremendous success has been gained in expanding access to education across all levels. Schools have been brought nearer to homes within 3km-5km from the community. Building schools closer to the homes of the students contributes to providing safety and security for them especially the girls as they have to walk shorter distances to and from the school. In addition they do not have to leave their homes and communities with all the attendant risks.Under the Third Education Sector Project Phase 1, (1998-2006) and Phase 2, (2006-2011) the Ministry of Education was able to build classrooms throughout the country supported by different donors to improve access to quality education for all Gambians.  Additional resources from the Education For All/Fast Track Initiative (EFA/FTI) have greatly contributed to the provision of additional classrooms and provided the impetus to accelerating access to basic education. It has helped to close the gender gap through the development of appropriate policy, provision of sex disaggregated data and gender information, capacity building of senior management and provided the needed finance to close the funding gap. Generally, resources are more equitably distributed and better utilized for programme implementation.  The School Curriculum: Reviews and updates of the curriculum have also resulted in a more relevant and, therefore, more responsive curriculum to stakeholder needs. The Life Skills Unit of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, developed a Life Skills Manual in 2008 for Grades 4 and 5 of the Lower Basic Cycle with the support of United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and the World Bank. HIV/AIDS has been mainstreamed into the life skills programme.  Awareness creation and sensitization activities through platforms such as the weekly televised education forum, radio programmes and community meetings have increased public interest and knowledge on girl’s education.  Although The Gambia is yet to legitimise the prohibition of corporal punishment in schools, detention centres and homes, the Ministry of Education has put in place a policy for the supervision of corporal punishment in schools by the Head Master or Mistress. 92