Education in Senegal

The Senegalese education system is based on its French equivalent. Articles 21 and 22 of the Constitution adopted in January 2001 guarantee access to education for all children. However, due to limited resources and low demand for secular education in areas where Islamic education is more prevalent, the law is not fully enforced. Many families send their children to private schools.Education is compulsory and free up to the age of 16. In 2002, the gross primary enrolment rate was 80%, and the net primary enrolment rate was 69%. Gross and net enrolment rates are based on the number of students formally registered in primary school and therefore do not necessarily reflect actual school attendance. In 2000, 41.2% of children ages 5 to 14 years were attending school. Primary school attendance statistics are not available for Senegal. As of 2001, 80% of children who started primary school were likely to reach grade 5.... Mehr