Senegal: English lessons to start in nurseries and primary schools
Senegal has begun rolling out English lessons in nurseries and primary schools in a bid to widen the prospects of connection with the wider world, reported by RFI on February 16th.
The country is a former French colony and so, whilst Wolof is the most spoken of the six national languages, French had also been taught in schools where English had only been taught in public high schools and universities.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye was elected last March on a nationalist ticket, calling for the recalibration of the country’s relationship with its former colonial power. Since, the country has followed the region in the military shift away from France, with Maghrebi reporting in November 2024 that Faye said “French troops should not stay in his country.”
This latest development therefore demonstrates a further cultural shift away from the former colonial power towards the wider world, with English proficiency seen as vital for gaining access to opportunities and better collaboration with Senegal’s partners.
The country has also seen a considerable ‘brain drain’ with an “exodus of young people searching for a better life abroad,” reported by RFI. Mathiam Thiam, a contributor to the development of the English programme stated, “if Senegal doesn’t adapt to this way of accessing knowledge, there will be a [barrier]” to the opportunities for the youth.
Ousmane Sene, director of the Dakar-based West African Research Centre, has praised the initiative, pointing out that “English is the most common language at an international level and it’s the most used language in diplomacy and international cooperation,” according to RFI.
Therefore, in the pilot schools taking part in the initiative, English is taught every Tuesday and Thursday in two lessons of 25 minutes in nursery and 30 minute lessons in primary schools.
However, the initiative has not been endorsed by all members of Senegalese society with many criticizing the lack of resources, including a shortfall in teachers, for the programme’s prospected failure.
RFI also reported that most teachers have not yet received digital teaching materials that the Education Ministry has pledged to provide, with former MP and retired teacher Samba Dioulde Thiam said, “on these grounds alone, introducing English at nursery and primary school levels is a pipe dream, it’s impossible.”
However, some criticisms have been levelled at President Faye himself. Whilst he attempts to reject the continued influence of the French, Thiam asks, “is the aim to flatter the Anglo-Saxons who dominate this planet and get them to give us resources?”
RFI, Maghrebi
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