Senegal introduces national STEM competition as President Faye champions education reform
Date: 2025-08-01
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has presided over the 2025 General Competition awards ceremony at the Grand Théâtre National, unveiling ambitious plans to reshape Senegal's education system for the digital age. The event honored academic excellence while charting a new course for scientific and technological learning in the West African nation.
In a keynote
address, President Faye announced the creation of a National Mathematics,
Science and Technology Competition starting in the 2025-2026 academic year,
targeting students from primary through secondary levels. This initiative
directly addresses his concern that scientific disciplines remain "the
poor relatives" of Senegal's education system despite global technological
advancements.
The ceremony,
honoring late Education Minister André Sonko as its patron, saw President Faye
present the inaugural Gaïndé Medal of Performance to standout student Pape
Natango Mbaye. The Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital
Affairs underscored its commitment to digital education by awarding tablets to
all competition winners – tangible tools to foster innovation among Senegal's
brightest minds.
The President
framed educational reform as central to Senegal's 2050 National Transformation
Agenda, calling for systemic changes to make schooling "attractive,
motivating and exciting." He emphasized the need to balance
technological integration with ethical safeguards, warning against AI's
potential to exacerbate inequalities while advocating for digital sovereignty
grounded in local research capabilities.
"This
generation must be architects – not just consumers – of our digital
future," President Faye declared, challenging
educators to cultivate critical thinking alongside technical skills. The new
STEM competition and digital learning investments reflect Senegal's dual focus
on preserving humanistic education values while preparing youth for 21st
century opportunities.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
