“Catalysts for Change: Voices from TAP-EDM Partnerships” Series
In Senegal, short-term technical assistance through the TAP-EDM initiative, in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education (MEN), supported ongoing reforms to strengthen quality, equity, and resilience in the education sector. The initiative contributed to advancing the Appui budgétaire sectoriel RÉUSSIR (ABS RÉUSSIR) by developing key tools such as a diagnostic of barriers to school transitions and a national retention strategy (PHARES). Through this partnership, Canadian expertise helped reinforce data-driven decision-making and strategies to promote school retention and ensure that more girls continue their education. The TAP program is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Alinea International.
Background
In Senegal, progress has been made in expanding access to education, with primary school enrollment rising steadily over the past decade. Yet the system continues to face major challenges. Literacy rates remain below 50%, and the quality of learning outcomes is uneven. Girls, in particular, continue to lag behind boys as they advance to higher levels of education, with dropout rates increasing sharply during transitions between primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary. To address these challenges, the Ministry of National Education (MEN) has launched reforms aimed at improving quality, equity, and resilience across the sector.
In 2023, M. Joseph Biaye, Coordinator at the Directorate of Middle and Secondary Education (DEMSG), became directly involved in the effort to deliver on Senegal’s commitments under the sectoral budget support mechanism ABS RÉUSSIR (Appui budgétaire sectoriel RÉUSSIR). He oversaw the preparation of two critical deliverables: a diagnostic of barriers to school transitions, particularly for girls, and the development of the retention strategy (PHARES) and corresponding action plans.
This collaborative effort was part of the technical assistance provided under the TAP-EDM program, funded by Global Affairs Canada to support Senegal’s national education plan PAQUET-EF (Programme d’amélioration de la qualité, de l’équité et de la transparence de l’éducation et de la formation, 2018–2030) and the policy of compulsory schooling from ages 6 to 16, with a particular focus on girls. Joseph worked closely with Canadian expert Hugues Lavoie, who helped MEN apply greater rigor in the use of data and formulating strategies that could guide action across the education system.
Joseph Biaye‘s Story
For Joseph Biaye, the work on ABS RÉUSSIR was an opportunity to confront some of the most persistent challenges in Senegal’s education system: keeping children in school, ensuring smooth transitions between cycles, and addressing the specific barriers faced by girls.
“Les filles sont plus nombreuses à s’inscrire, mais quand on regarde les taux de réussite et les transitions, elles restent défavorisées,” he explained.
As Coordinator at DEMSG, Joseph was tasked with leading two of the most critical deliverables: the diagnostic of obstacles to school transitions, and the PHARES retention strategy. Working closely with Canadian expert Hugues Lavoie, he discovered the importance of applying greater rigor to planning and analysis. In his own words,
“Il fallait que chaque phrase soit étayée par des données, que chaque indicateur soit SMART”. This was, for him, a demanding but transformative exercise.
The process was not without challenges. Funding constraints loomed large, and much of the effort depended on continued advocacy to ensure that the strategies would be integrated into national and local budgets. As Joseph put it:
“Le diagnostic et la stratégie sont solides, mais pour changer la réalité des écoles, il faut des ressources et un engagement politique constant.”
Still, the collaboration gave him a new perspective on what it takes to make reforms meaningful.
“J’ai appris la rigueur, la planification, et l’importance d’aller au-delà du document pour voir ce qui se passe réellement en classe,” he confirmed.
Conclusion
For Joseph, the experience went far beyond producing a diagnostic and a strategy. It was a lesson in rigor, in the importance of data, and in building tools that could guide future reforms. More importantly, it reinforced his conviction that change must reach the classroom if it is to improve the daily lives of students, especially girls, who continue to face the greatest barriers in staying in school and advancing through the system. The Technical assistance provided through TAP-EDM, funded by Global Affairs Canada, has helped MEN adopt new approaches and strengthen its capacity to design and implement gender-responsive reforms in a more informed and rigorous way.
For Joseph, the real challenge now is to turn strategies into concrete actions and ensure that schools have the resources to support every child.