Thiès Education Review: Declining Bac Results and Teacher Shortages

The Thiès region in Senegal faces a growing education crisis marked by declining baccalauréat results, rising school dropouts, and a critical shortage of teachers, according to the regional education review held on April 29, 2025.

The annual education review in Thiès, led by Inspector of Academy Gana Sène, revealed a general decline in baccalauréat performance across the region, signaling broader challenges in student learning outcomes and academic preparation.

Despite a slight decrease in school dropout rates in certain localities, the review highlighted a troubling increase in student repetition, indicating that while more children are entering the education system, they are taking longer to complete their academic trajectories due to learning difficulties or insufficient support.

Infrastructure remains a pressing concern, with officials acknowledging state and partner efforts in school construction but stressing the urgent need to expand the educational network to keep pace with Thiès’ growing population and ensure dignified learning conditions for all students.

The review also pointed to a significant gap in the availability of Franco-Arab education, noting that many families seek this bilingual option but are unable to access it due to limited supply, risking the marginalization of children who might otherwise remain outside the formal education system.

These local challenges reflect broader national and global trends in education, particularly the worsening teacher shortage affecting school stability and instructional continuity. In the United States, more than 400,000 teaching positions were either unfilled or staffed by inadequately certified personnel in 2025, with projected declines in job openings for kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school teachers through 2034, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The erosion of trust, stability, and continuity in classrooms due to teacher instability undermines not only academic achievement but also students’ emotional development and long-term educational engagement, as highlighted in analyses of the American education system’s structural pressures.

Addressing these interconnected issues — declining academic performance, dropout and repetition rates, infrastructure deficits, limited program access, and teacher shortages — requires coordinated investment and policy adaptation at both regional and national levels to strengthen Senegal’s education system and ensure equitable, quality learning opportunities for all students.