Senegalese education: COSYDEP coalition warns about flooded schools
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Le Soleil
Illustrative image · director muuh · Pexels · Licence PexelsA month after the start of the school year, COSYDEP, a coalition of organisations defending public education, reports flooding, overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages in Senegalese schools. Its note, based on a survey in six regions, points to the gap between announced commitments and reality in schools, according to the organisation.
COSYDEP, which brings together organisations mobilised for public education, believes that opening classes does not guarantee satisfactory learning conditions, a month after the start of the school year. Its fieldwork, carried out in six regions (Dakar, Kaolack, Saint-Louis, Diourbel, Tambacounda and Sédhiou), draws on a documentary review and an examination of government decisions. The start of the school year, scheduled for 7 October, only took effect on 12 October.
Of the 53 flooded schools covered by the survey, 52 have resumed activities and one is operating partially. However, 24 establishments, or 45% of the sample, still present risks, mainly linked to stagnant water and the rising groundwater table.
At Thiaroye Gare B primary school in Dakar, only one of the two introductory classrooms has been cleared of water, so two groups of pupils share the space. In Kaolack, several establishments have still not received spraying treatment, as hygiene services do not have the required product.
For COSYDEP, the school being back in use does not guarantee that all health requirements are met. It also highlights inequalities between territories: pupils in the most exposed areas often face several difficulties at once.
