No More Time: Educational Policy in Senegal

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No More TimeEducational Policy in Senegal

• Sharon Jacobsen
• Heidi Knobloch
• Charles Koplinski
• Kathy Warren
• Global Studies in Education
• The University of Illinois
• April 25, 2007

Source UNESCO. www.unesco.org/education/efa/img/
wef_b.jpg
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Once the Crown Jewel of French West Africa, Now
one of the Poorest Nations on Earth

• Slightly smaller than South Dakota
• Population 12 million (CIA, July 2006)
• 94 Muslim
• French is official language, 6 recognized
  national languages
• Life expectancy 56
• Unemployment 48
• Population living on less than 2 per day 63

Map of Senegal Source University of Texas
Libraries. http//www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/s
enegal_rel89.jpg Map of Africa Source African
Studies Center. Exploring Africa Africa in the
Classroom. Michigan State University.
http//exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/images/afric
avegetation.jpg
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Senegal Struggles to Survive

• Single-crop economy always a gamble on the edge
  of the desert
• Twenty-year drought followed by years of
  flooding, locusts
• Austerity programs, devalued currency, collapse
  of export prices
• Brain drain as able Senegalese flee in search
  of work

Dakar
Saharan Dust over Senegal. City of Dakar is
located on the Cap Vert peninsula Source NASA
Earth Observatory, taken from the International
Space Station, May 18, 2002. earthobservatory.nas
a.gov/.../ISS004E12080.jpg
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Human Development Report for 2006 A Nation in
Distress
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Human
Development Report 2006 Key Indicators for
Senegal
Life expectancy at birth (years), 1970
1975 Life expectancy at birth (years),
2004 Population living below 2 per day (), 1990
2004 Population with sustainable access to
improved sanitation (), 1990 Population with
sustainable access to improved sanitation (),
2004 Adult literacy rate ( ages 15 and older),
2004 Adult literacy rate ( ages 15 and older),
1990 Children reaching grade 5 ( of grade 1
students), 1991 Children reaching grade 5 ( of
grade 1 students), 2003 Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) per capita annual growth rate (), 1975
2004 Official development assistance received
(net disbursements) per capita, 2004 Adult
literacy rate, female ( ages 15 and older),
2004 Adult literacy rate, male ( ages 15 and
older), 2004
40.1 56.0 63.0 33 57 39.3 28.4 85 78 -0.1 92.4 2
9.2 51.1
Source http//hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/statistics/cou
ntries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_SEN.html
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Adult Literacy Programs What went right?
When the numerous variables and viewpoints are
considered, usefulness emerges as the most
important factor in predicting whether a choice
of literacy instruction medium will be
successful. -Victoria Baker

• Focus on Literacy and Poverty Alleviation with
  the Adult Literacy Programs
• Literacy and post-literacy integration
  income-generating activities and sustainability
• Policy integration ongoing local development
  activities
• Village womens associations integration
  connecting the associations to legal status as
  well as income-generating activities

• Development of the Programs Partnership is
  priority
• State coordination, monitoring, and evaluation
• Providers (civil society organizations,
  non-profits, village and language associations)
  implementing the local literacy programs.
• Independent agencies financial management.

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What Happened at Dakar Goals Set by The World
Education Forum, April 2000
1990 2000 Jomtien
2000 2015 Dakar

• Expand early childhood care and development
  activities with focus on poor, disadvantaged and
  disabled children.
• Universal access to primary education by the year
  2000.
• Improve learning achievement defined as of age
  group attaining specific learning goals.
• Reduce disparities between men and women in adult
  literacy rates.
• Expand basic education with metrics based on
  behavioral changes.
• Expand education programs through all available
  media channels.

• Expand and improve comprehensive early childhood
  care and education, especially for the most
  vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
• Universal access to complete, free and compulsory
  education, particularly girls
• Ensure that learning needs are met through
  equitable access to appropriate programs.
• Achieve a 50 improvement in adult literacy by
  2015, especially for women.
• Eliminate gender disparities in primary and
  secondary education by 2015.
• Improve quality of programs in literacy, numeracy
  and essential life skills.

Source
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Challenges to the Education of Girls and Gender
Parity

• The manifold benefits of girls education are now
  beyond dispute. It reduces child and maternal
  mortality, enhances economic productivity,
  improves heath and nutrition and protects girls
  from abuse, exploitation and HIV/AIDS. It also
  contributes in the most meaningful way possible
  to gender equality. Investing ingirls education
  in particular -- remains our best hope of
  accelerating progress toward the wider goals in
  human development that the international
  community has pledged to meet.
• - Carol Bellamy, Executive Director, UNICEF

Challenges to the Education of Girls and Gender
Parity

• Loss of income
• Fees
• Early marriage
• HIV/AIDS and other diseases
• Civil conflicts

• Violence in schools
• Classroom practices
• Few female role models
• Poor educational and hygiene facilities
• Islamic/Muslim tradition and culture

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• Expanding early childhood care and education
  to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged
  children
• - First goal of Education for All

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No more time.
There is no worse plan than one that cannot be
implemented. There is no worse commitment than
one which cannot be achieved. This time we have
to be serious. The year 2015 must not be a
Jomtien1015, to which more and more extra time
is given. Because there will simply be no more
time. In the next 15 years we have the chance to
raise education from its present state, or to let
it collapse finally. - Rosa María Torres,
Instituto Fronesis, Quito/Buenos Aires
Migrants at Saint Louis prepare for the dangerous
passage to the Canary Islands. Source
Photograph by Meg Bortin, June 19, 2006, New York
Times http//travel2.nytimes.com/2006/06/19/world
/africa/19senegal.html