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Workshop for the external validation of the EFA National Plan of Action in Senegal. Dakar, BREDA 23-24 April, 2001

Background

The Dakar Framework of Action adopted by the international community at the World Forum on Education for All held in Aril 2000 recommended in particular that each country draws up a National Plan of Action before the end of 2002. Senegal had actually already developed a Ten-year Program for Education and Training (DPET) whose launch coincided with the start of the Dakar Forum.

With a permanent view to maintaining coherence and seeking a wider participation of all actors, the option chosen by Senegal was to integrate the NPA-EFA (National Plan of Action for the Education for All) in the DPET. This integration was justified in terms of the need to meet the requirements set by the Dakar Framework of Action, which give a priority to basic education, with a stronger focus on the outcast and the marginalized, as well as on the development of early childhood.

In developing the NPA-EFA in Senegal, a series of thematic studies were carried out on the objectives of the Dakar Framework of Action*:

Early childhood education

Education for girls and children in difficulties

The development of programs that meet the educational needs of young people and adults

Fair and unrestricted access to basic education

Review of the DPET and of the Dakar Framework of Action

Elaboration of the draft plan based on the reports of experts covering the thematic studies mentioned above

Internal validation by the government

External validation by the actors and partners

Workshop for the external validation of the National Plan of Action for Education For All in Senegal, UNESCO-Dakar 23-24 April, 2001:

The representatives of the Senegalese government, the Secretary General of the Senegalese National Commission for UNESCO, the Secretary General of the CONFEMEN, the EFA sponsors and the representatives of the United Nations system, those of the bilateral and multilateral Development Aid agencies, of NGO's and Civil Society Organizations, of Parents Associations and Teacher Unions, all met at the BREDA in order to discuss the ultimate phase of the development of an EFA plan in Senegal.

Official Opening Ceremony

The development of the EFA plan was backed by a memorandum of understanding signed by the Government and the EFA sponsors, namely the UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank, the ILO and UNESCO/BREDA.
This tool was unprecedented and set a standard in terms of attracting the human and material resources needed for the development and implementation of the EFA National Plans of Action. It was also used in other countries of the sub-region.

The diversity and size of participation to this workshop bears witness to the genuine spirit of dialogue and co-operation which grew out of the Dakar World Forum and still shows to this day. What should ultimately come out of this exercise is the production, following the validation phase, of a plan that is credible and widely accepted by all areas of society.

In the next few days, you will find on this WEB site the conclusions of the workshop which will end with the official launch of the Senegalese Plan of Action for Education for All held on April 26th at Le Meridien Président in the presence of the President of the Republic of Senegal, His Excellency Maître Abdoulaye Wade.