Amnesty International Senegal, the African Meeting for the Defense of Human Rights (RADDHO), the Senegalese Human Rights League (LSDH) and Article 19/West Africa and Senegal invite the new authorities to register, as a priority in their agenda the transmission to the National Assembly for vote, the bill establishing the status of daaras, adopted by the Council of Ministers since June 2018. This is through a joint press release made public the day before yesterday, Wednesday November 27, as a prelude to National Daara Day, celebrated yesterday, Thursday November 28, 2024.
“On the occasion of the celebration of the National Day of Daara – Koranic school in the national Wolof language – on Thursday November 28, 2024”, RADDHO, LSDH, AfrikaJom Center, Amnesty Senegal and Article 19, “call on the President of the Republic , Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye and his government to include as a priority in their agenda the transmission to the National Assembly, for adoption, of the bill on the status of schools Koranic principles adopted by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday June 6, 2018.
According to the signatories of the text, “The bill was developed after long consultations involving all stakeholders in Koranic education and the protection of children’s rights in Senegal: the State, associations of Koranic teachers and civil society. This bill organizes Koranic education and establishes its financing arrangements. It bans child abuse and creates bridges with the national education system, particularly technical and vocational education. Before its examination and adoption in the Council of Ministers, the bill was presented to the main Muslim religious leaders of the country and received their support. Its adoption by the National Assembly and its promulgation would constitute strong acts in terms of protection of the rights of the child.
For these civil society organizations specializing in the defense of human rights, “Although efforts have been made by the State and private individuals to create modern daaras, Koranic teaching in Senegal remains dominated by the traditional daara model. . Hundreds of thousands of children who learn the Koran in traditional daaras are subjected to mistreatment and exploitation through begging in flagrant violation of the law and regional and international human rights treaties of which the State of Senegal is party, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child”, we read in the document signed Yéya Birane Wane for RADDHO, Alassane Seck for the LSDH, Alioune Tine from AfrikaJom Center, Alfred Bulakali for Article 19 and Seydi Gassama for Amnesty International Senegal
The Ministry of National Education organized yesterday, Thursday November 28, 2024, the 3rd edition of National Daara Day. This celebration chaired by the Head of State, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, is “dedicated to these pillars of our spiritual and educational heritage”. On the program, there were exchanges, panels and a celebration of excellence and spirituality, informs the Ministry of Education.
