Senegalese universities are identified to provide high quality graduates and research. However a few of these establishments might do extra in the event that they have been in a position to overcome main organisational and governance challenges. As an example, some don’t have independence or ample budgets.
Their difficulties are the results of a mix of things, together with the expansion of pupil numbers from 93,866 in 2012 to 190,145 in 2018. The restructuring of the job market and modifications to the legislative, bodily and social environments additionally play an element.
The dearth of planning and ahead wanting insurance policies have taken a heavy toll on public universities. Additionally they have an effect on how well students perform in exams.
Senegal has eight public universities. There are additionally establishments to offer vocational schooling, the primary of which is already operational in Thiès. 4 others have been set to open at first of 2020.
As well as, there are over 300 non-public universities and academic establishments. These are both based by native or international builders, belong to a transnational community or are a department of a international establishment.
Many of the establishments are concentrated in Dakar and in Saint-Louis, Thiès and Ziguinchor. Service sector coaching is mainly provided through private institutions, whereas public institutions teach the social sciences and humanities, science and expertise and medication.
Total, the standard of upper schooling stays extremely eclectic and uneven throughout areas and disciplines. This poor efficiency makes public universities much less enticing than the rising variety of non-public universities. The federal government must make many reforms to handle this.
The problem of college governance
Public universities in Senegal have been based within the Nineteen Sixties. Their purpose was to develop the nation and break free from the colonial mannequin. Some schools have since tried to regulate their programmes to swimsuit trendy wants, however the financial and political circumstances haven’t at all times been beneficial.
Internal governance is sometimes weak, too. The leaders of public universities haven’t at all times been in a position to put nationwide reform directives into motion. Non-public universities are likely to succeed at this.
Within the non-public college system, the state has a token position, principally restricted to authorising the opening of the college. The best way wherein non-public universities are ruled permits them to regulate extra simply to new coaching wants.
Public universities have a public service responsibility, but they need to additionally take care of nationwide and worldwide competitors.
Regardless of its willingness to enhance the sector and keep away from stagnation, the Senegalese authorities doesn’t govern its universities effectively.
As an example, the federal government determined to position all 2019 high school graduates in public universities. This was finished with none prior examine of the doable results.
The influence of government, and different native authorities, over college presidents might intrude with the impartial administration of the college. The actions of workers, in flip, are sometimes decided by presidents. These relationships all have penalties for the correct working of the establishment.
Difficulties implementing reforms
Higher education and research policies typically bear reforms, with the purpose of bettering the system. As an example, the 2013 National Dialogue on the Future of Higher Education resulted in 78 recommendations.
Seyllou/AFP
This dialogue coated points comparable to programme high quality, funding, the job market, internationalisation and innovation. These heading the dialogue needed to reorient programmes in the direction of science, expertise, engineering and arithmetic and coordinate them with the skilled world.
Immediately, despite the presidential directives, which instructed universities to align their insurance policies with the dialogue, universities have struggled to consolidate the progress made. Reforms are thwarted by weak governance.
This may be defined by, amongst different issues, weak dedication to the establishment from some college leaders, a lack of knowledge of pupil profiles (comparable to who they’re and what they need), and a scarcity of hyperlinks with the enterprise world – not solely to get college students into the workforce but additionally to fulfil social responsibility.
In direction of public-private partnership?
Till 1995 greater schooling was run solely by the state. Immediately, the federal government is now not the only supplier of upper schooling, but it surely retains management of the certification course of. It additionally has the decison-making energy over whether or not to confess new graduates from excessive colleges into public universities.
The connection between non-public and public establishments has modified from one among “co-existence” to one among competitors. Non-public establishments have a greater total popularity. To stay aggressive and generate further assets for institutional budgets, public universities have began to advertise paid programmes and companies, comparable to knowledgeable consulting, coaching and room rent.
However the involvement of productive financial sectors in public universities – programs that align with workforce demand, involvement of enterprise professionals in instructing and serving as board members – stays an actual situation.
A number of the modifications that universities are experiencing, comparable to results-oriented administration, are fairly promising. Others, just like the implementation of the Bachelor, Grasp and PhD reform, are creating even larger difficulties for Senegal, particularly because the system is missing in assets, and in administration and governance expertise.
To keep away from stagnation, Senegalese universities ought to be allowed to get on with the modifications they see as essential.
They should clear up their administration and contain all stakeholders all through the transformation course of. That is the prerequisite for avoiding stagnation and constructing high-performance universities.
Translated from the French by Alice Heathwood for Fast ForWord
