Transforming education in Senegal

Senegal’s history of investing in education and engaging education stakeholders in sector dialogue mark the government’s commitment to building a strong education system.

Based on the 2019 PASEC assessment, many Senegalese students acquire basic competencies by the end of primary education, but 25% lack minimum proficiency in reading and 35% in math.

Significant socioeconomic, rural-urban and regional disparities call for a more equitable and inclusive education system. While minimal learning differences are observed among girls and boys at the primary level, gender disparities emerge in secondary education, with more girls dropping out of school than boys.

Senegal is working with GPE and other partners to improve the quality of learning by reducing inequalities and vulnerabilities. The government aims to strengthen the capacities of decentralized administrations to detect vulnerabilities and identify and implement measures to reduce them.

Schools will define and implement remedial strategies to improve learning, which could include the provision of teachers, new teaching and learning materials, upgrading infrastructure or opening a canteen.

Plans to improve sector governance include primary education learning assessments to bolster evidence for decision making, and resource allocation criteria that account for disparities, among others.

Result story

Synergy between innovation and civil society action: examples from Burkina Faso and Senegal

Woubibox in Burkina Faso and the local observatory of education quality in Senegal are two initiatives from civil society organizations. Read how they work and how GPE’s Education Out Loud and KIX initiatives supported them, with the potential to adapt them in other countries.

Key data

40%

out-of-school rate for children of lower-secondary school age

20%

of children start learning one year before entering primary school

72%

of primary teachers have the minimum required qualifications

25%

of government expenditure on education

Grants

(data as of December 23, 2024)

 
  • Type: System transformation and Multiplier

    Years: 2024 - 2028

    Allocation: US$78,219,790

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: AFD

  • Type: Program development

    Years: 2023 - 2025

    Allocation: US$199,053

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: AFD

  • Type: System capacity

    Years: 2022 - 2025

    Allocation: US$696,860

    Utilization: US$515,503

    Grant agent: UNESCO

Civil society engagement

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting:

  • The Coalition des Organisations en Synergie pour la Défense de l’Éducation Publique (COSYDEP) for the 2024-2026 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).
  • The Tax Education Alliance (TaxEd) led by ActionAid International for the 2024-2026 period.
  • Girls Not Brides for the 2024-2026 period.

Learn more

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