THE COUNTRY
Senegal has a population of 16.2 million in 2019, about a third of whom live in Dakar and its suburbs. The country has a population growth rate of 3.07% per year and ranks 202nd out of 228 on the Human Development Index (HDI). 44% of the Senegalese population lives in urban areas and 60% of the population is under the age of 20.
CHALLENGES RELATED TO EDUCATION
The enrollment rate for children between 6 and 12 years old is 80% but almost half of the children enrolled leave school during the year for various reasons (family, economic, health, etc.), mainly girls (1). Almost half of the Senegalese population (46.7%) is poor despite an economic growth rate of 6.8%.
According to UNICEF (2) great strides have been made in access to education in the country in recent years. In spite of these, challenges persist, such as :
. A large number of children and young people still excluded from the education system, especially in disadvantaged areas or those resistant to the traditional school model;
. Weaknesses of early childhood care models in preparing children to enter primary school;
. Inadequate learning outcomes for pupils, which jeopardize their adequate transition between cycles;
. The level of training and qualification of teachers is still insufficient;
The under-financing of Integrated Early Childhood Development (DIPE), which receives less than 1% of the national education budget.
In addition, the situation and living conditions of child talibé beggars continues to be a difficult issue, as does the inclusion of daraas (Koranic schools) in a holistic education system.
Senegal: Quality education helps build the future
Global Partnership for Education / Video > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZPWqcTHW48
Despite great progress made in the areas of access to education, significant needs continue to exist in the country. The country has an active civil society with a wide range of social actors, particularly in the field of children and education, as well as local organizations with extensive experience in the management of development projects.
1 Terre des Hommes Switzerland, Special Senegal, n°135, September 2019
2 https://www.unicef.org/senegal/french/Unicef_Education.pdf