The facts:
USAID/Senegal and education

USAID helps increase middle school enrollment and improve the quality of middle school education. Since 2003, USAID and its partners, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, have built or rehabilitated 30 middle schools, especially in rural areas, and helped improved the quality of the teaching and learning environment by carrying out nationwide training programs for teachers and principals in public and private middle schools. An additional 20 schools will be built and another eight schools renovated by early 2008. In view of these results, the program was expanded to $10.6 million in 2007 for a total of $47.4 million for the period 2003-2007. By the end of 2008, approximately 32,000 children – nearly half of them girls – who previously were unable to continue their education will be enrolled in middle schools close to their home. Also, the graduation rate for middle school students is expected to increase by at least eight percent. USAID education activities include:

Promoting middle school education
USAID helps improve access to middle schools, increase the demand for girls’ education and create a school environment that will keep girls in the classroom. In the regions of Fatick, Kolda, Tambacounda, and Ziguinchor, USAID works with communities and local governments to co-finance the construction of new rural middle schools and the expansion of others. These projects are in areas with a shortage of middle schools to accommodate increasing numbers of students completing primary school. The middle school program encourages community involvement by setting up school management committees and by helping local governments assume their responsibilities for supporting schools. Communities are mobilized to participate effectively in the management of their children’s education and to raise awareness on the importance of educating girls. To improve the quality of teaching, USAID helps create a better learning environment by providing libraries, computers with Internet connectivity, and other educational equipment.

Training Senegal’s teachers and school directors
USAID’s partners support teachers and school directors with training in new teaching practices, particularly with respect to practical, hands-on learning methods, the use of simple, home-made instructional materials, and techniques for teaching science in poor, rural settings. These trainings also introduce new school management practices. In 2007, over 2,000 pre-service and in-service teachers were trained on topics such as planning, managing and evaluating a lesson.  Additionally, over 450 principals received training on how to involve students in their own education.

Bringing textbooks to the classroom and beyond
As part of President George W. Bush’s Africa Education Initiative (AEI) for the years 2002 to 2010, Textbooks and Learning Materials Program works with Senegalese and American experts to develop and produce textbooks and other educational materials in mathematics, science, language arts, and reading for Senegal’s primary and middle schools. By September 2007 this program will have produced over 1 million Africa-centered books that are customized to the culture and academic needs of Senegalese children.

Helping Senegalese girls complete secondary education
Through the AEI U.S. Ambassador's girls’ scholarships program, USAID has since 2005 awarded nearly 1,300 scholarships to Senegalese girls. Related educational support comes through two partnerships – one between USAID/Senegal and the Sonatel Foundation to provide scholarships to 300 high school girls over a five-year period, and the other with Microsoft to equip schools with computers, provide them with Internet connectivity, and train school staff and students in the use of information and communication technologies.

Support to rural, community-based schools
USAID launched a pilot program in 2006 to improve vocational training, nutrition, living and learning conditions of 3,800 students age 5 to 18 in nine rual, community-based schools in the north of the country.

Partners
USAID’s implementing partners are the Academy for Education Development (AED, LD), Elizabeth City State University, Research Triangle Institute (RTI), World Education, Microsoft, the Sonatel Foundation, and Counterpart International.