Community and Learning in Senegal’s Schools — Part One
Xam-xam fieent a koy kudoor: di ko bind, di ko jangale, di ko waxtaane, mbaa di ko jefe. ~Wolof Proverb***
What a special day today in Dakar. Our group experienced 2 schools very different from each other but both incredible peeks into the educational system in Dakar. The first, Lycee Technique D’industrie Mauice Delafosse Vocational School, is a hybrid of high school and technical community college that prepares students for careers or further schooling in science, technology, and related trades. What at first appears like a random assembly of buildings set in a sandy plot of land unfolds into an incredibly organized and highly productive institution as one of the school’s administrators tours us around, explaining each of the labs and classrooms while introducing us to faculty and teachers. The school itself has evolved to meet the needs of so many different situations: middle school students wanting to practice skills before going to high school, high school students who competed for a place to attend and learn computer science, electronics, or microbiology, other high school students receiving hands-on training before entering the workforce, and graduated students returning to learn a new trade. Here are some of the highlights of this visit:
We also visited Lycee Galandou Diof High School, considered one of the top 50 schools in all of Senegal and one of the only public ones with the distinction. The school serves over 1600 students in middle and high school, and we arrived shortly after dismissal for the day.
The school itself is shaped very differently than the schools we see in the States — a concrete rectangle of two stories surrounding an open area. The design invites students to congregate in the open courtyard, which is what most were doing when we arrived. We soon learned that a number of them were members of the school’s very popular English Club, a student-run organization for extending their learning of the language.
In talking with the students (many of whom spoke English very well), I soon learned how passionate each child was for learning. They lit up and spoke with such enthusiasm about how much they love studying, particularly languages. When asked what they wanted to pursue beyond high school, every single one mentioned a science or medical career. Senegal has had a history of valuing the study of literature and humanities, rooted in the nation’s first president Senghor who was an acclaimed poet. The current president Macky is pushing for this to change. Currently 80% of all university students study humanities and 20% go into sciences. He is hoping to flip this, and whatever initiatives and rhetoric being used appears to be working. I cannot wait to talk to more teachers about this! Here are some photos of the school and students:
I met this wonderful student who bravely came over to talk to some of the American teachers at the school:
In fluent English, she explained that she had been learning English through online videos, particularly ones that explain how to try out different hair styles. She also has learned much of her English through watching the TV show My Wife and Kids. Who new an innocuous American sitcom could become a prime teaching tool. Listening to her discuss her passion for learning English, her plans to take extra lessons in the evenings and on the weekends, and her commitment to school inspired me. I keep going back to wondering how many of my students have a passion for learning beyond the school hours and what they focus on? How can I leverage that passion to better educate them and prepare them for their futures?
I asked one of the teachers about why so many students were still around after school. They must really love it here! She informed me that they were hanging around for the same reasons we were — to see the new people, US! This was a great reminder to think beyond my own lens.
***Wolof proverb translation: There are four things to do with knowledge: write it, teach it, talk about it, and do it.
