COSYDEP calls for preserving a calm climate for exams June 11, 2026

A few days before the start of the national exams, the Coalition of Synergistic Organizations for the Defense of Public Education (COSYDEP) took stock of the 2025-2026 school year and made several recommendations to sustainably improve the Senegalese education system. In a press release published this Thursday, June 11, the organization emphasizes that the year was marked by both a “stable start” and a “tumultuous development” punctuated by 150 hours of strike.

For COSYDEP, the signing of a first memorandum of understanding between the State and the teaching unions nevertheless constitutes proof that “dialogue remains our best tool”. The organization recalls that the education system is now entering a decisive phase with the holding of the examinations for the Certificate of End of Elementary Studies (CFEE) from June 17, the General Baccalaureate on June 30 and the Brevet de fin d’études supérieur (BFEM) on July 21.

The coalition also notes that these evaluations are taking place in a particular context marked by several major events, notably the Football World Cup, the celebration of the Day of the African Child and the prospect of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due in 2030.

Faced with these challenges, COSYDEP insists on the need to guarantee optimal conditions for candidates. “Providing a calm environment, optimal concentration for our candidates and exceptional mobilization of the community remain an absolute priority,” she says.

Beyond passing the exams, the organization calls for in-depth reflection on three major challenges. The first concerns the impact of socio-political tensions on learning. According to COSYDEP, “the permanent electoral cycle generates rivalries which disrupt the psychological balance of students, directly impacting their performance”, hence the need to protect the school from these influences.

The second challenge concerns improving the efficiency of the education system. Based on data from the State Report of the National Education System (RESEN 2012-2022), the coalition notes an irregular evolution of exam results. Baccalaureate success rates thus increased from 51.54% in 2023 to 50.50% in 2024 then to 47.72% in 2025. The results of the BFEM and CFEE also experienced significant fluctuations during the same period.

Finally, COSYDEP calls for a “methodical overhaul of the sector” based on a holistic, inclusive and concerted approach. She believes that previous experiences, notably the General Conference on Education and Training (EGEF), the National Consultation on the Future of Higher Education (CNAES) and the National Conference on Education and Training (ANEF), must serve as a basis for building a national consensus on education.

“The main challenge is to build a national consensus in favor of educational policies which cross political regimes and strengthen the dialogue of educational offers,” underlines the press release. Such an ambition implies, according to the coalition, rethinking the purposes of the school, the curricula, the evaluation and guidance systems, the status of the teacher, governance as well as the overall resilience of the education system.

Convinced that education must be placed “above political and economic contingencies”, COSYDEP believes that Senegal has the necessary assets to build a “resilient, inclusive and efficient” education system, capable of preparing young generations for the challenges of sustainable development.