Interview with Fallou Gueye (click here for video)

Fallou Gueye is the Founder and Director of the Dakar Success Academy, a private K-12 school specializing in bilingualism (English/French) in Dakar, Senegal. The goal of this interview was to learn more about the education system in Senegal. The interview was conducted in French. See translated transcript below.

Interview transcription

MK : What is the mission of your school ?

FG : Our mission is to participate in the education of the citizens of this country, that’s our first mission, to really contribute to the education of the children, and it is specifically a bilingual school. We receive students that are children of Senegalese immigrants or children of other nationalities. The specificity of this school is that the official language of the country is French, and we do teach French. But our target language is English, so we teach in English.

MK: So there is no Wolof in the school?

FG: No, no Wolof is taught. We would like to teach the dominant language, the national language, but it’s not a global language.

MK: How do your students find you? Do you do recruitment, or do they find you on the internet?

FG: By all accessible avenues. By the website, by word of mouth, people who know each other and friends of friends; the community radio, we have done publicity in New York on the radio for the African community, particularly the Senegalese community, in New York and New Jersey.

MK: So there are African students that come to your school from New York?

FG: Yes, immigrants, but mostly Senegalese. When Senegalese families return to Senegal, they need to find a school like their American school, so they come here. Parents also send their children from the United States because they want their children to have a well-sourced education that is also African/ Senegalese. They send the children to live with their grandparents or other family.  They come for 1 or 2 years, or they can come to finish high school or middle school.

MK: What ages are at the school?

FG: 1^st to 12^th  grade

MK: What is the size of a class?

FG: The size of a class is 12,15-16 at the most.

MK: Oh that’s not bad, pretty small. How many years has the school been in existence?

FG: We have been here 6 years.

MK: Did you establish the school alone?

FG: When I returned, I started this school because I have always been in education ; all my schooling was in the United States. I did my studies from secondary through university. When I finished my Phd I taught in universities. My last university was Cuny in New York. When I was an AP Reader, I met Samba {professor at Georgia Tech}. I was also a consultant for the College Board Committee, so I know how the American system works from top to bottom.

MK: Did you use the model of American pedagogy to establish your school?

FG: Both. We cannot copy/paste because the realities are not the same. Teaching is dynamic. We must teach in relation to the psychology and the culture of the children. We must create a  practical education that permits children to apply themselves and have experiences.

MK: Can you explain the difference between American and Senegalese pedagogies?

FG: The American pedagogy is built upon the American culture, pragmatism – handouts, working in groups, etc. But Senegalese pedagogy is not like that; it’s more abstract, in many schools we don’t have the means to provide the same materials. That’s one difference. I ask my teachers to integrate the students by doing exercises. Corporative learning. But in general, we have trained teachers that provide exercises and activities. Psychologically, American students, like the culture, are much more independent than those in Senegal. You can ask an American student to go to the board because that’s normal there. In Senegal, the child is to listen and do the work asked of him. So it’s important for the teachers to understand the psychology of the students, to know the culture, in order to teach effectively.

MK: Do the teachers come from Dakar?

FG: From Senegal, Nigeria, Gambia, Anglophone countries, and other areas nearby. As I said, we teach French and English. Science is taught in English, and French is the second language.

MK: So all the teachers speak both French and English?

FG: No, there are some teachers who are bilingual, but some of them speak English and some speak French. We also do Spanish. We also have physical science classes, such as chemistry. The teachers have been trained and have learned enough English to provide the course.

MK: Do you help students apply for university or find a job or both?

FG: No, not jobs. The students in 12^th grade take the SAT exam in Dakar. They consult the candidate dossier to be accepted in university. We have some that have already left, for New York, Ohio (Columbus), some have gone to the United States for college. It was not necessarily the case at the beginning, because some of them have had difficulty, so we have sent them elsewhere to have a better education. So that they have a sense of origin. They like the new culture. Our role is to help them until they finish high school, help with the SAT and SAT prep, making sure they have everything they need.

MK: I saw on your website that you have students from different socio-economic classes. Do you provide scholarships to those who don’t have the means to attend?

FG: Not officially, but we keep it in mind. We offer reductions to families in certain areas because we are a private school. They can get a reduction in the cafeteria, transport, or bus, for example. There aren’t official scholarships but we have a way to keep in mind the socio-economic situations of the parents.

MK: Why was it important for you to establish this school at the time?

FG: As I said, education is my background. I taught in many places and for most of my life. I taught in Ivory Coast, in the United States, from primary school to university. When I returned to my country, I said I would invest in the domain I know. Bilingualism is important; speaking English is important as it’s the international language. I wanted to create a quality school for bilingualism. I was also in the Senegalese community in New York. I know many of the families of the students here in the school. It is important to help them return to the United States and go to college. We help them to excel and succeed in college.

MK: Are you going to continue being the Director for a long time, or do you envision changing roles eventually?

FG: I am not alone. There are assistants, the codirectors, it’s a team. We work together and we make plans on pedagogical and discipline questions together. Everyone is involved in the process of making decisions. I am there to supervise; I am not the type to make decisions alone. If it was just me, maybe I would close the school and return to the U.S. But as soon as I created it, it doesn’t belong to me anymore. It belongs to the community. Parents are waiting for this for their children. If I were to close the school, it would be a catastrophe for the parents of this community.

MK: I know that you have children in the U.S. In your opinion, are the difficulties that young people face the same in Senegal as they are here?

FG: My children went to school here {at the Dakar Success Academy}. The oldest came to school here and then returned to 12^th grade in the United States. The second one did the same. My kids were some of the first students at this school. They did well, and they think about going back to Senegal. When I go back they want to come with me; it gives them a sense of belonging. It’s important to give strength to them, but as in the United States, it’s not a melting point. It’s important that people that live there know their origins and have a community in order to face an identity crisis. It’s important for everyone. In terms of discipline, almost all kids in the world are faced with social media, Facebook, Instagram, etc. If the children are not well oriented, they can become victims of this social media culture. It’s important that children know what’s fiction and what is reality.

MK: I think that social media has changed so much for young people. Are there the same types of problems- such as drugs- that young people face?

FG: Absolutely. Not in my school, but in Senegalese society, yes there are children who are victims of this. The proportions may be much bigger in some countries than others, but the reality is the same in almost all countries.

MK: I believe those are all my questions. Thank you so much for your time.