Summary assessment of the education sector in Senegal

This assessment of the country"s education sector covers the structures and programs of all significant formal and nonformal education (NFE) activities, the costs and financing of education, the relationship between education and employment, education as an investment, and activities of other donors in the education sector. The report also analyzes the most serious problems affecting the educational system. (1) Formal primary education is seen as increasingly irrelevant, since it is theoretical rather than practical and prepares students for a baccalaureate degree rather than for productive work in their communities. The system is also beset by a lack of human and material resources. However, three conditions seem favorable to turning the tide in primary education: the country"s economic crisis, the search for alternatives to formal schools, and a trend toward concerted donor efforts in education. (2) NFE is receiving increasing interest as a means of meeting basic educational and development needs, though it too is constrained by conceptual and implementation problems. Its future success will largely depend on the existence of charismatic and dedicated leaders and on the courage to risk replicating successful small-scale programs on a larger scale. (3) Low levels of schooling and literacy for women and girls inhibit the effectiveness of development efforts on a wide front. Government, donor, and private organization experience indicates numerous ways of improving female education, but these have not been developed into a systematic strategy. A final section summarizes strategy options for USAID/Senegal.