Aliou Sall, brother of former Senegalese President Macky Sall, has expressed concerns about the planned reform of the country's high school curriculum. The reform aims to introduce a new series, "Agriculture, Environment and Agro-food" (AEA), by merging existing series S4 and S5. Sall, who is also the administrator of private courses Amadu and Kumba (Copak), believes that the current curriculum for these series is already overloaded.
The proposed AEA series will combine subjects from S4 and S5, which focus on agriculture, environment, and agro-food. However, Sall notes that these series already have a heavy workload, with students required to study both technical and general subjects. As a result, schools often reduce the number of hours allocated to core subjects like mathematics, physics, and biology, leading to poor performance in these areas.
The current curriculum for S4 and S5 students includes a full range of general subjects, such as mathematics, physics, and biology, in addition to technical subjects like phytotechnology and food technology. This leads to a significant workload for students, who often struggle to keep up. Sall argues that simply merging the two series without reforming the curriculum will exacerbate the problem, leading to even poorer performance.
To address this issue, Sall proposes a radical overhaul of the curriculum. He suggests that the mathematics, physics, and biology programs for AEA students should be redefined to focus on applied skills, rather than general knowledge. For example, mathematics could focus on statistics, growth functions, and modeling, while biology could emphasize practical skills like plant and animal husbandry.
Sall also recommends eliminating redundant subjects, such as history and geography, which are already covered in other technical subjects. He believes that the curriculum should be streamlined to allow students to focus on key areas, such as applied mathematics and science. Additionally, he argues that the selection process for universities and technical institutes should be revised to take into account the new curriculum.
The proposed reforms have sparked a lively debate in Senegal's education sector. While some have welcomed the introduction of a new AEA series, others have expressed concerns about the potential impact on student performance. Sall's comments highlight the need for careful consideration of the curriculum reform to ensure that it benefits students and the country's education system as a whole.
The Senegalese government has not yet announced when the new curriculum will be implemented. However, with concerns about the potential impact on student performance, it is clear that further discussions are needed to ensure that the reforms achieve their intended goals. The country's education sector is eagerly awaiting a resolution to this issue, which will have a significant impact on the future of Senegal's students.
Key points
- Aliou Sall warns that the planned high school curriculum reform may lead to poor performance in key subjects.
- The proposed AEA series will combine subjects from S4 and S5, which focus on agriculture, environment, and agro-food.
- Sall proposes a radical overhaul of the curriculum to focus on applied skills and eliminate redundant subjects.
