The 30 measures taken by PM Ousmane Sonko

During the interministerial meeting held this Thursday, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced a set of 30 key measures aimed at ensuring the smooth running of the 2024-2025 school and academic year.

These decisions, taken in collaboration with several ministries, aim to guarantee optimal conditions for students, teachers, and educational establishments throughout the country.

An ambitious action plan that aims to respond to the recurring challenges of the education sector and promote an environment conducive to learning.

Summary of decisions taken by the Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko
A. As part of the inventory of the school

a. Despite the significant budgetary allocations devoted to education over the years, the state of the school system, at the start of the school year, paradoxically highlights unsatisfactory performances requiring significant improvements: i. a gross enrollment rate (63%) and a gross access rate (65% in elementary school and 40% in general middle school) in 2023 among the lowest in the ECOWAS region (9th and 12th respectively); ii. a very high failure rate of 34% in CFEE, 26% in BFEM and 49% in BAC; iii. a particularly high deficit in human resources and logistics:

• a need for 4,527 teachers for the 2024-2025 school year;
• 7,145 temporary shelters identified across the country;
• a deficit of 48,696 classrooms;
• 6,320 classrooms in poor condition;
• 5,862 unfenced schools and establishments;
• 2,256 schools and establishments without water points;
• 7,033 schools and establishments without electricity;
• 2,409 schools and establishments without latrines;
• 14,330 schools and establishments without canteens;
• 340 schools and establishments likely to be impacted by wintering;
• a deficit of 207,000 table-benches;
• 92,103 desks and benches in poor condition; iv. 409,789 preschool and elementary school students without birth certificates.

In view of this overview and the commitment to systemic transformation of national education based on a new vision, the following decisions were taken at the end of the interministerial meeting for a good start to the school year and a smooth running of the academic year:

B. In the preparation and improvement of the school environment

1. The Minister of National Education (MEN), in conjunction with the Ministers responsible for the Interior, Sanitation, the Environment and Local Authorities, and the Armed Forces, will take the necessary steps to restore educational structures affected by the wintering and establish a monthly day of citizen mobilization for the cleanliness of all establishments and schools in Senegal;
2. The Ministers of National Education and Vocational Training, in conjunction with the Ministers responsible for Energy and Water, will take the necessary steps to provide access to water and electricity for educational facilities; in this regard, I stress the need to expedite the connection of electricity to the vocational training centres (CFP) in Koki, Ndindi, Touba, Mboumba, Taif and Thiempeng before the start of the school year;
3. The Ministry of National Education will proceed with the structuring of an innovative program to accelerate the complete replacement of temporary shelters, through a public-private partnership;
4. The Minister of Vocational Training, in conjunction with the Ministers responsible for the Economy, Finance and Local Authorities, is instructed to submit, by the end of March 2025 at the latest, an action plan to accelerate the program for the construction of vocational training centers; particular attention should be paid to the economic model of said centers;
5. The Minister of National Education, in conjunction with the Minister of Finance and Budget, is instructed to submit, by the end of March 2025 at the latest, an action plan for the implementation of an emergency programme to upgrade school infrastructure;
6. The Minister of National Education, in close coordination with the Minister of Crafts, will initiate operational partnerships, with a view to relaunching the acquisition, by the State and its branches, of tables and benches, within the framework of the national furniture project. To this end, proceed, in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance and Budget, to a sufficient allocation, under the 2025 budget, for the rehabilitation of 100,000 tables and benches and the acquisition of 70,275 new tables and benches;
7. The Minister of National Education, in conjunction with the Minister of Finance and Budget and the Minister of Handicrafts, will take the necessary steps to implement the presidential directive on the compulsory wearing of school uniforms for the 2024-2025 school year; ensure the availability of uniforms within the required timeframe;
8. In order to ensure the conditions for inclusive education, guaranteeing free access to school for all children, without any distinction, particularly with regard to the wearing of clothing, the Minister of National Education must submit, no later than September 27, 2024, an order inviting schools to bring their internal regulations into line with the provisions of the constitution;
9. The Minister responsible for Land Transport is invited to ensure the strengthening of the Dakar Dem Dikk vehicle fleet to ensure the mobility of students, particularly in Dakar;
10. The Minister of National Education, in conjunction with the Ministers of Finance and Budget and the Armed Forces, will take the necessary steps to ensure the smooth start of the nation-army high schools for quality and equity (LYNAQE);
11. The Minister of Higher Education is invited, in conjunction with the Minister of Finance and Budget, to ensure the completion of ongoing projects on educational and social campuses;

C. In order to improve teaching-learning conditions and student performance

12. The Minister of National Education, in collaboration with the ministers responsible for the Civil Service and Labor and in partnership with the High Council for Social Dialogue, will continue to revitalize the social dialogue system, particularly on issues relating to decision-makers, access to housing, advancement acts and continuing education leading to a diploma;
13. The Minister of National Education and the Minister of Vocational Training, in conjunction with the Minister of Finance and Budget, will implement a plan to reduce the deficit in teaching and management staff; in this context, study the methods of meeting the need for additional recruitment of 4,527 teachers and 800 trainers in vocational training centres;
14. I invite the Minister of Vocational Training, in conjunction with the Minister of Finance and Budget, to examine the methods of acquiring sufficient quantities of working materials and educational inputs and to ensure adequate budgetary allocation for vocational training centres;
15. The Minister responsible for Local Authorities will make the necessary arrangements for the provision of school supplies and other educational inputs necessary for the smooth start of lessons and the proper running of the school year to schools and establishments, by mayors and presidents of departmental councils, from the start of the school year;
16. The Minister of National Education and the Ministry of Vocational Training, in conjunction with the Minister responsible for Sports and the Minister of Health and Social Action, will ensure strict compliance with the practice of sport in schools and establishments as well as the satisfactory implementation of the health of learners;
17. The Minister of National Education, in conjunction with the Minister of Finance and Budget, will ensure the effective transfer of operating budgets for public elementary schools;
18. The Minister of National Education, in conjunction with stakeholders in the education system, will implement a strategy to combat repeating and school dropouts;

D. In terms of civil status and support for vulnerable students

19. The Minister of National Education, in conjunction with the Minister responsible for Local Authorities, will implement the actions necessary to deal with issues relating to civil status;
20. The Minister of National Education, in conjunction with the Minister of Family and Solidarity, will take the necessary steps to prevent and manage violence in schools and protect vulnerable groups;
21. The Minister of National Education is invited to ensure, in conjunction with the Minister responsible for Higher Education, adequate management of the issue of baccalaureate candidates having difficulties with civil status;
22. The Minister of National Education, in conjunction with the Minister responsible for Finance and Budget, will carry out an adequate assessment of the appropriations allocated to school canteens to facilitate the launch and implementation of the national school canteen programme;
23. The Minister of National Education, in conjunction with the Minister of Finance and Budget, must deploy the resources required to implement the national inclusive education policy and upgrade infrastructure to provide adequate support for students with disabilities.

UNDER THE TITLE OF REFORMS
24. The Ministers responsible for National Education and Vocational Training, in conjunction with all stakeholders, will begin this year, the in-depth overhaul of the Education and Training curricula, according to the Project Vision. This vision focuses on national sovereignty, the promotion of values ​​and citizenship, authentic history and national languages, science, technology and digital technology, road safety, environmental education and sustainable development, the introduction of English in elementary school, as well as the adequacy with the needs of production and the world of work; ensure, with regard to the introduction of English, both for the experimental phase and for deployment, the development of a precise and realistic roadmap, ensuring equal access for learners; with regard to national languages, proceed and submit to the Prime Minister, the assessment of current initiatives.

25. The Ministers responsible for National Education, Higher Education and Vocational Training, in conjunction with all stakeholders, will begin this year the reform of the certification assessment system (CFEE, BFEM, BAC) in connection with the overhaul of curricula.

26. The Minister of National Education, in conjunction with the Minister, Secretary General of the Government, is invited to make every effort to adopt the law on the status of Daara and accelerate the modernization and integration of Daara into the education system;

27. The Minister of National Education must take appropriate measures to implement the Digital Strategy for Education, including the creation, from the start of the school year, of a Digital Stream and the start of its experimentation within the LYNAQE and certain high schools of excellence.

28. The Minister of National Education is invited, in conjunction with all stakeholders, to deploy the New Initiative for the Humanist Transformation of Education (NITHÉ) for the promotion of values ​​and citizenship;

29. The Minister of National Education shall make the necessary arrangements, in conjunction with the Ministers responsible for Sports, Youth and Culture, Finance and Budget, for the effective participation of the Ministry of National Education in the preparation of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. In this regard, ensure the institutionalization of the organization of the national school sports championship;

30. I urge the Minister, Secretary General of the Government, in conjunction with the Ministers responsible for Education and Vocational Training and Higher Education, and all parties concerned, to monitor the diligent implementation of the measures and to report to me regularly.