Between alerts from unionists, threats from students and strikes from part-time teachers, the start of the academic year is off to a difficult start. This, while the stabilization of the academic year remains a priority for the new authorities.
Since taking office as Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Dr Abdourahmane Diouf has shown determination to stabilize the academic year. For good reason, for around ten years, the academic calendar at the level of higher education is completely disrupted due to strikes by various branches of the university community, massification particularly at Ucad, infrastructure problems, political factors. This compromised the smooth running of lessons and had a financial impact. During the seminar on stabilizing the academic year organized in Saly last June which brought together key players in higher education, seven measures were taken. “This year’s high school graduates will be able to register from October 21, 2024, corresponding to the third Monday of the month of October. […] The 2022-2023 students will start on July 1, while those of 2023-2024 will start no later than February 25, 2025,” said Dr. Abdourahmane Diouf. He thus set a deadline of 16 months to stabilize the academic year in view of various challenges including the finalization of infrastructure, the recruitment of teachers among others.
Indeed, the opening of the social campus of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar is set for October 19, but the start of the academic year risks experiencing some difficulties. The Inter-union of the Center for University Works of Dakar (Coud) is already sounding the alarm. At a press conference the day before yesterday, Thursday October 10, she denounced the budget deficit of 10 billion and announced difficulties within the social campus. “We must therefore truthfully say that we are heading towards difficulties because the buyers are threatening to stop the services because of the debt owed to them. Most hospitals blocked Coud workers because of the debt owed to them and as a reminder, the events of June 1, 2023 caused the fire of all Coud staff transport buses, agents’ vehicles, the ransacking of our premises and our work tools,” she said.
At Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis, the start of the school year should take place on 1is last October. The Saint-Louis Student Coordination, which had asked students to stay at home, ended up suspending its slogan after a meeting with the authorities. “This Thursday, October 3, 2024, the CESL met the MESRI authorities who, on solid foundations and supporting evidence, confirmed to us the start of work on the marquee of restaurant No. 2 as well as the platform of the village O d here next week. Given these new clear and precise commitments in addition to the major progress noted on the crucial issue of sanitation which was causing a lot of concern to students, the Saint-Louis Student Coordination in all responsibility has decided to suspend its message order. Thus, educational activities will resume on Monday October 7, 2024. We are thus granting a period of three weeks to the authorities for the effective start of the announced work,” we read in a press release. The same source adds: “In the event of non-compliance with the deadlines set, the Saint-Louis Student Coordination will not skimp on any means to call on its union arsenal in order to restore the student to his most absolute rights and all consequences resulting from this situation will be under their entire responsibility.
At Alioune Diop University in Bambey, disruptions have already been noted with a 72-hour strike by temporary teachers starting Tuesday, October 8, 2024. They denounce the non-payment of salaries and the slowness in processing vacation hours. They also demand better management of the three-semester delay in the payment of vacation hours and an end to the reduction of vacation hours.
MARIAME DJIGO
