This report reviews progress and challenges in basic education, advocating for measures to achieve the targets 4.1 and 4.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It serves as an advocacy tool for decision-makers and partners, focusing on access to and quality of basic and middle school education.

Despite ambitious reforms, primary and middle school gross enrolment rates have stagnated at 85.9% and 50.7%, respectively. The primary completion rate is 62.8%, slightly below the target. Senegal allocates a significant portion of its budget to education, leading to improvements in transition rates and a grade 9 survival rate of around 80%.

While learners test scores in mathematics and French have improved, challenges persist, with only 53.8% of CE2 (grade 3) students meeting proficiency standards. From 2014 to 2019, the percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading and mathematics increased significantly, with grade 6 students performing well in regional assessments.

The report emphasizes the need to enhance teacher competencies, shift public education spending towards basic education, and address infrastructure deficits to reduce class sizes and eliminate temporary shelters. It also advocates for developing a national policy for regular standardized assessments and promoting national languages in early primary education.