Since 2003 AED has implemented USAID/PAEM, a project working hand in hand with Senegal’s Ministry of Education, establishing an effective model for mobilizing rural communities, constructing an affordable and expandable middle school structure, and developing a system for setting standards for teacher and principal performance.   

Major accomplishments of USAID/PAEM thus far include:

1. Building/renovating 58 middle schools in the targeted regions through the use of best practices, effective management and significant community involvement;
2. Increasing middle school enrollment rates by 28% in USAID funded regions;
3. Increasing middle school enrollment among girls from 34% to almost 41%;
4. Providing high school scholarships to 250 female middle school graduates through developing strong public-private partnerships;
5. Developing teacher and principal performance standards for middle school teacher education, designing training modules for teachers and principals, and providing training to over 700 teachers in the targeted regions and all principals nationwide (over 450); and
6. Facilitating the organization and training of 58 School Management Committees (CGE) and working with them to develop their school improvement plans.

Improving access to middle school for children living in rural areas is a priority of USAID/PAEM.  This is being achieved by expanding access to quality middle school education in four regions of Senegal (Fatick, Kolda, Tambacounda, Ziguinchor) that will serve as a model for replication in the other regions.  By the end of the project, middle school enrolment will increase by 25%. Girls’ enrollment will also continue to climb as parents see that they can safely send their girls to a nearby school and begin to see the value of girls’ education.

Student performance is improving in all subjects, particularly in math and science, as measured by an agreed upon achievement test that is being used to measure student learning for the entire middle school sector on a sample basis.  Students are learning critical thinking and problem solving skills in a more learner-centered environment.  Children’s academic is being celebrated through a number of mechanisms such as science clubs, computer design graphic camps, summer activities, and academic and sports competitions so that middle school becomes a fun and exciting place to be. 

USAID/PAEM is also building the capacity of the Ministry to effectively and efficiently manage the expansion of middle school education.  The Ministry has created a system for supporting in-service teacher education based on performance standards that is improving classroom instruction and upgrading skills of unqualified teachers.  This teacher education system is rooted in strong regional teacher improvement teams working for the Ministry that in turn support school based teacher support organized by the principal and the teachers themselves.  Teachers are teaching using activity-based, learner-centered techniques.

Finally, School Management Committees are creating school improvement plans and involving the community in ensuring that their school is managing and using its financial and human resources effectively, and School Support Committees are involving the community in monitoring the results through school report cards.