Launch of the report on delivery of public services in the education sector in Senegal
15 July 2010
AfriMAP, in partnership with OSIWA and Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO), launched the report, “Senegal: Effective Delivery of Education Services”, on July 15, 2010 in Dakar, Senegal. The launch ceremony was presided over by the Senegalese Prime Minister and the Minister of Education, responsible for Preschool, Elementary and Middle schools. It was attended by more than 50 participants, including key actors of the education sector (students, teachers from primary, secondary and university, trade unionists and officials of the various ministries in charge of education in Senegal), Members of Parliament, members of civil society, representatives of research organizations and development partners.

In their brief presentation of the report the co-authors commended efforts by the Senegalese government for significantly investing in the education sector over the last decade. They also highlighted a number of governance challenges the sector faces, including too many inconsistencies and shortcomings in the implementation of policies, and chronically poor budget formulation and execution. A lively and passionate debate followed the presentation of the report. Many agreed with Dr. Fatoumata Hane of the University of Ziguinchor, Senegal and one of the panelists, who stressed that "the main governance challenges in the education sector usually relate to the lack of public participation in the school management, low mastery of financial management mechanisms at local level and the opacity in the delivery of the education services”. Participants called for a better governance of the sector through more effective and more efficient use of human and material resources in a collaborative and inclusive approach.

The call received a positive response from the government of Senegal, with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education committing to actively working with AfriMAP and its partners on the implementation of the recommendations of the report and pushing through the necessary reforms identified in the report.