The impact of an after-school remedial education program using national Senegalese languages

• In Event: Re-examining language of instruction for peace, equity, and foundational learning in Senegal

Proposal

Within education systems, the language of instruction plays a crucial role in student achievement, the preservation of linguistic and cultural identity, and ultimately national peace and stability. Education is a widely recognized conduit for peace, allowing for social and economic benefits that promote stability and development (Runde et al., 2023). Language significantly affects the success of an education system, as a wide body of evidence shows that children who learn in a language they use and understand have more consistent learning gains (Collier & Thomas, 2017; Nag et al., 2019). Although many countries primarily use post-colonial languages such as English or French, the use of national languages in education systems can help to preserve those languages. Scholars claim that linguistic preservation plays an important role in domestic and international cooperation and national security (Masalimova et al., 2019), while linguistic rights are key to political participation and sustained peace, particularly for linguistic minorities (Stroud & Heugh, 2004). Conversely, inappropriate language of instruction in schools has fueled conflict in some cases when minority groups feel that their cultures and needs are not addressed (Warren, 2020).

Senegal, a former French colony where French is widely used as an official language and lingua franca, has taken seriously the role of national languages in its education system. Over 20 languages are spoken throughout the country, and the Ministry of National Education has invested considerable resources to meet the diverse needs of its learners, including recent education reforms to promote the use of national languages in schools throughout the country.

Since 2021, a national education NGO has been implementing a remedial intervention for struggling students in Senegal. The program selects the lowest-performing students in grades 2 and 3 to participate in after-school classes that provide targeted reading and math support in Senegalese languages. With external funding, the program reached thousands of students across four regions of Senegal in the 2024-2025 school year.
In this presentation, the authors present the findings from an impact evaluation and cost analysis of the program. The evaluation, which consisted of literacy and numeracy assessments of a large sample of students in matched treatment and comparison schools shows statistically significant impacts of the program on several key sub-tasks. It also shows that the program had a more positive impact on foundational literacy compared to numeracy. In our presentation, we discuss the findings in depth, including differences by language. We also present the overall cost of the intervention per student. Drawing on program monitoring data and the evaluation findings, we discuss the implications for programming moving forward.

Overall, the program presents a promising example of education programming that utilizes national languages in an effort to improve learning outcomes and promote peace.

Authors

• Uttara Balakrishnan, American Institutes for Research

• Daniel Zaas

• Pooja Nakamura, American Institutes for Research

• Anna McKenzie Warren

• Chinmaya Holla, American Institutes for Research (AIR)