{"id":59360,"date":"2024-06-03T06:01:10","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T06:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education"},"modified":"2024-06-03T06:54:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-03T06:54:35","slug":"senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education","title":{"rendered":"Senegal\u2019s government is promising a \u2018systematic change\u2019 in education"},"content":{"rendered":"

writes James J. Fisher<\/b><\/p>\n

Africa-Press – Gambia. <\/strong><\/span>The new government of Senegal is promising to refocus local languages, engage local communities and address adult learning.Recent elections in Senegal brought in a new government led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye with Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister. Faye and Sonko have claimed this new government will bring radical change to Senegal, including moving away from the CFA currency or a more equal distribution of profits from Senegal\u2019s growing energy sector. However, an aspect of their proposals that have received little international attention is its education policies, which includes strong rhetoric about making a break from the past.<\/b><\/p>\n

A brief history of education in Senegal<\/p>\n

Senegal\u2019s education system has been emphasised as a key part of the nation\u2019s future since independence. The first post-independence administration, led by Le\u0301opold Se\u0301dar Senghor said \u201cthe problems of education…are to be at the centre of our concerns.\u201d The percentage of the nation\u2019s GDP earmarked for the formal education sector increased steadily over Senghor\u2019s 20-year presidency. However, due to, amongst other things, structural adjustment programs, the subsequent government spent far less on education over time.<\/p>\n

Funding for education increased under Abdoulaye Wade\u2019s presidency who also instituted education reforms that aimed to improve early childhood education and promote the use of e-learning for Senegalese university students.<\/p>\n

Macky Sall\u2019s government continued Wade\u2019s legacy of educational reforms and expansion. In 2015, he stated that education had to remain \u201cat the heart of public policies\u201d in Senegal. Between 2018 and 2019 the government invested billions of CFA (franc de la Communaute\u0301 financie\u0300re africaine) to expand access to elementary and secondary schools through an ambitious building scheme. Despite these investments, Sall himself noted that the sector had not improved enough, and required more time and investment for the government\u2019s \u201cefficiency of returns\u201d to develop.<\/p>\n

Senegal\u2019s education is based on the French colonial system, taught in French, and therefore cut off from local cultures. Senegalese citizens often complain about the overuse of French in schools and government, despite the more frequent use of Wolof and other local languages by people in their day to day lives. The use of French in the education system has continued the disconnection between students\u2019 mother tongues and the language of instruction, which Senegalese governments have yet to resolve.<\/p>\n

Faye, Guirassy, and systematic change<\/p>\n

Bassirou Diomaye Faye\u2019s new government has positioned itself as a departure from this past. In public statements they have offered a potentially radical new way of governance in Senegal. The government has recently appointed Moustapha Guirassy, the former Mayor of Ke\u0301dougou, as Senegal\u2019s Minister of National Education. This appointment indicates the potential for a drastic change in Senegal\u2019s educational governance.<\/p>\n

Guirassy, in his first speech after his appointment, stated that he plans a \u201csystematic transformation\u201d of education, in order to move from an \u201ceducation system to an educational society.\u201d Faye\u2019s own inaugural speech highlighted the need for \u201csystematic change\u201d in Senegal. Guirassy\u2019s and Faye\u2019s statements indicate how the government is positioning itself in the education sector, as it begins to depart from the frameworks used by previous governments.<\/p>\n

A key aspect of Guirassy\u2019s statements thus far indicate a desire to expand the involvement of the community in education: \u201cOur communities have ceded to school all the dignity…we must regain this dignity…so that these communities are also places of fertilising knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

A potential model for this is Wade\u2019s ongoing \u201cLa case des tout-petits\u201d initiative, which involves a partnership between the government and local community to build, maintain, and staff \u201cles cases\u201d (\u2018huts\u2019) in which young children are educated, receive medical screenings, and are given nutritional meals. The program included community volunteers who took part in the education initiatives and maintenance, while the government built the \u2018huts\u2019 and provided other staff. By expanding such a model, Faye\u2019s government could further integrate local stakeholders into the education system and encourage communities as \u201cplaces of fertilising knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local languages and cultures<\/p>\n

In his election platform, Faye stated that his government would utilise \u201cnational languages in the education and training system…and [as] the medium of instruction.\u201d He also pointed to his support for the promotion of Senegalese cultures. Guirassy has likewise stated that there is a need to utilise local solutions to the education system\u2019s needs, saying the government \u201cmust fight for an endogenisation of the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through an increase in language training for educators and the use of local languages throughout the education system, Faye\u2019s government seeks to depart from one major aspect of the colonial framework that has been a part of Senegal\u2019s education since independence.<\/p>\n

Guirassy has also made it clear that the government\u2019s education initiatives will attempt to fill gaps left in the formal education sector. At an inter-ministerial panel in April 2024, he explained that the government would be creating additional structures to encourage training accompanied by \u201ca strategy of diversification of sectors to adapt [current vocational centres] to the national potential.\u201d This would help address gaps in adult education, as well as unemployment issues. The expansion of education outside of the formal classroom is an important contribution the government can make towards democracy promotion.<\/p>\n

However, his government has had one glaring discrepancy. Since his election Faye\u2019s government has sidelined women in appointments to decision-making positions and has eliminated the Ministry of Women. Likewise, women face a disproportionately difficult time accessing education, especially secondary school.<\/p>\n

Faye\u2019s government, through the appointment of Guirassy and statements made thus far, has positioned itself as a break with past governments in the education system. By making statements in support of national language use and integrating communities more closely to the system\u2019s development, it is possible Faye may make strides in distancing Senegal from the colonial model of education. However, these changes to Senegal\u2019s education system must be made in an equal manner to ensure that all Senegalese citizens can access education.<\/p>\n

LSE<\/b><\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Gambia<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

writes James J. Fisher Africa-Press – Gambia. The new government of Senegal is promising to refocus local languages, engage local communities and address adult learning.Recent elections in Senegal brought in a new government led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye with Ousmane Sonko as Prime Minister. Faye and Sonko have claimed this new government will bring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":59359,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[2355,2361,260],"class_list":["post-59360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-gambia","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"\nSenegal\u2019s government is promising a \u2018systematic change\u2019 in education - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The new government of Senegal is promising to refocus local languages, engage local communities and address adult lea ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Senegal\u2019s government is promising a \u2018systematic change\u2019 in education\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The new government of Senegal is promising to refocus local languages, engage local communities and address adult lea ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gambia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-03T06:01:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-06-03T06:54:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2024\/06\/sm_1717384924.519174.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Senegal\u2019s government is promising a \u2018systematic change\u2019 in education\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-03T06:01:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-06-03T06:54:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education\"},\"wordCount\":1024,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/gambia\/sites\/19\/2024\/06\/sm_1717384924.519174.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Africa Press\",\"Africa Press-Gambia\",\"Gambia\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"files\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/senegals-government-is-promising-a-systematic-change-in-education\",\"name\":\"Senegal\u2019s government is promising a \u2018systematic change\u2019 in education - 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