At a time when the Senegalese education system is undergoing profound changes, one thing is clear: teacher leadership has become a determining factor in academic success and student development. Long relegated to the role of mere transmitter of knowledge, the teacher is now an educational leader, capable of inspiring and positively transforming their students.

It is with this in mind that teachers at the Nguéniène high school received training dedicated to leadership and personal development. This initiative is led by the INWI Movement, in partnership with the local education authority.

The Inspector of the Academy of Thiès, Gana Sène, sees this training as a major lever for transformation. While he acknowledges the need to strengthen technical capacities, particularly in standardized assessments, he emphasizes the human dimension of the New Initiative for the Humanistic Transformation of Education (NITE).

“Our education system today emphasizes the human element, even more so than skills,” he noted. According to him, investing in teachers is a requirement of good governance, as they remain the primary determinant of the quality of education.

High expectations for academic excellence

Amad Seck, Secretary General of the INWI Movement, explained that this workshop was in response to a direct request from the school administration. The objective is clear: to enable teachers to achieve their performance targets. The movement hopes to see an increase in the exam pass rate, which had been between 70 and 73% in previous years.

For his part, the president of the INWI Movement, Bougar Diouf, emphasized the exemplary role model that teachers must embody. "A teacher is first and foremost a leader. Every day, in their classroom, they influence behaviors and shape values. Teaching means taking initiative, inspiring and motivating far beyond the subject matter," he insisted.

For the headmistress of the Nguéniène high school, Ms. Fall Ndeye Awa Thiam, this training is fundamental to the overhaul of the educational system. Beyond success rates, she places the development of responsible and humane citizens as an absolute priority. "To teach is to be a role model for students," she explained, emphasizing that leadership is the foundation upon which the school of tomorrow must be built.