Teacher Management and Support in Francophone countries of Sub-Saharan Africa back a page | next page ÇTeacher Management and Support in Francophone countries of Sub-Saharan AfricaÈ* is a report summarizing the work accomplished by the Francophone section of the Working Group on the Teaching Profession within the Teacher Management and Support (TMS) Program. The report covers three years (1993-1995). Since the activities were aimed primarily at providing a diagnosis of the teaching profession in the participant countries, the report contains a wealth of data and indicators on the region. The abundance of information is testimony to the large amount of data collected by the national teams. In presenting excerpts from the report, this article will provide our readers with a glimpse of the type of information they may find. The first phase of the TMS program conducted in ten Francophone countries of sub-Saharan Africa (Burkina Faso, Chad, C™te d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal—);was aimed at analyzing the situation of the teaching profession in the countries concerned and determining the problems afflicting teachers and their causes. The investigation was conducted by national teams established in each of the ten countries. The diagnosis is based on data provided by macroeconomic statistics (quantitative analysis) and a survey conducted in the central departments of the countries' ministries of education (qualitative analysis). Quantitative analysis Key indicators for education have been analyzed along with population data and GNP figures. An international perspective was introduced by comparing the indicators from the ten African countries with those of Asian countries whose GNP per capita is lower than 500 dollars. The comparison shows that the Asian countries fare much better and that the ten countries in the TMS program have some way to go to improve their education systems. Because teachers represent the major part of budgets for education, particular attention should be paid to teacher management issues. • Efficiency indicators: High enrolments do not necessarily imply that pupils will successfully complete their schooling. High enrolments may simply mean that children are sent to school, regardless of the quality of education. Repetition and dropout rates are important indicators to assess the efficiency of schools. The report shows how costly poor efficiency can be. In countries such as Madagascar, given the internal performance of the system, spending is three times as high as it would be if all the pupils starting school completed it. In Mali, Gabon, and Chad, expenditure is twice what it should be. The performance profiles of the Asian countries are far better. • Cost indicators : Costs are analyzed using primary and secondary pupilteacher ratios and the unit cost of education expressed in multiples of GNP per capita. A striking difference is seen between unit costs for higher education and primary education. The unit cost of higher education is on average 35 times higher that the unit cost for primary education and ten times the unit cost for secondary education. In some countries, the gap is much greater. In Burkina Faso, for instance, the unit cost is 66 times greater in higher education than in primary education. These indications can be useful information for decision-makers. A minister of education may decide that, given his or her country's educational policy objectives, the budget and unit costs for higher and primary education (35:1), it is best to encourage the enrolment of pupils in primary school rather than that of students in university. Table 1. The efficiency of education systems (Performance profiles) Country Gross Enrolment Access rate app.prim.(1) Access rate end.prim.(2) Efficieny Rate (3)   Prim. Sec. Burkina Faso 37 8 36 71 64 Chad 57 7 61 71 54 C™te d'Ivoire 69 22 60 71 62 Gabon -- -- 44 41 46 Guinea 37 9 67 59 60 Madagascar 92 18 38 41 36 Mali 24 7 50 -- 47 Mauritania 51 16 68 59 65 Niger 29 7 82 77 75 Senegal 58 16 85 78 76 Median 50.4 12.2 52 64.70 58 Francophone Africa 70 16.6 71 59 55 Anglophone Africa 87 26.5 98 66 73 Asia (GNP/cap.<500)<> 86 34.2 95 69 78 Source : ÇGestion et mobilisation des personnels enseignants dans les pays francophones d’Afrique subsaharienneÈ (1) Ratio of pupils enroled in the first year of primary to the population of children of that age group. (2) Ratio of the number of pupils reaching the end of primary to the number of pupils admitted a few years earlier. (3) Calculated from a cohort tracer study. Ratio between the number of school years which the cohort should have spent in school divided by the number of school years actually spent. Poor efficiency is costly. In Madagascar, given the internal performance of the system, spending is three times as high as it should be. In Mali, Gabon and Chad, spending is twice as what it should be. Performance profiles for the Asian countries are far better. Table 2. The Cost of Education Systems (Unit costs expressed in per capita GNP) Country Teacher/pupil ratio (1) Unit Cost (2)   Primary Secondary Primary Secondary Higher Burkina Faso 57 30 0.17 0.56 11.2 Chad 67 36 0.10 0.35 7 C™te d'Ivoire 36 na na na 1.9 Gabon 44 na na na nd Guinea 40 14 na na nd Madagascar 40 21 0.06 0.18 nd Mali 42 14 na nd nd Mauritania 47 18 0.18 0.86 nd Niger 42 26 0.25 0.70 4.28 Senegal 58 23 0.15 0.33 3.44 Median 47.3 22.7 0.15 0.50 5.22 Francophone Africa 48 24 0.12 0.47 5.3 Anglophone Africa 39 22 0.11 0.60 5.9 Asia (GNP/cap.<500) 37 19 0.08<> 0.20 1.1 Source : ÇGestion et mobilisation des personnels enseignants dans les pays francophones d’Afrique subsaharienneÈ (1) Teacher/pupil ratio (1991). (2) Unit costs expressed as GNP per capita. Teacher to pupil ratios in the African countries studied are fairly similar to those of the Asian countries. However, unit costs for education are on average half as high in Asia for primary school and one fifth as high for secondary and higher education. Cost differentials between primary, secondary and higher education are also much lower in the Asian countries. Among the indicators analyzed in the report are: • Enrolment rates : Gross enrolment ratios observed (50.4% in primary and 12.2% in secondary in 1991) are on average far lower than those of Anglophone African countries (87% and 26.5%, respectively), and in the Asian countries (86% and 34.2%, respectively). This applies to both primary and secondary education. Enrolment ratios in secondary education are one quarter those of primary (50.4%). Generally speaking, disparities between boys and girls are still very high. The proportion of boys going on to secondary school (16.1%) is twice that of girls (8.2%). Key indicators for education have been analyzed along with popullation data and GNP figures. The comparison with Asian countires with a GNP per capita lower than 500 dollars shows that the ten countries studied have some way to go to improve their education systems. Because teachers represent the major part of budgets for education, particular attention should be paid to teacher management issues. Pupil teacher ratios in the African countries studied are fairly similar to those of the Asian countries. However, unit costs are on average half as high in Asia for primary school and one fifth as high for secondary and higher education. Cost differentials between primary, secondary and higher education are also much lower in the Asian countries. The survey's questionnaires On the whole, the questionnaires have revealed a serious malaise among teachers. The discontent is expressed on several counts: teachers' pay, working conditions, in-service training opportunities, and support to teachers. The C™te d'Ivoire country working group sums up the situation prevailing in most countries as follows: teachers' current lack of motivation is directly related to the financial deterioration of the teaching profession. Faced with the teachers' dissatisfaction on the one hand and depressed economies on the other hand, the country working groups have a difficult task ahead of them. They must cope with wage complaints as well as depressed economies and limited budgetary prospects. In terms of budgetary analysis, Senegal is mentioned as an interesting example. Despite significant budget efforts towards education, Senegal is struggling to keep the pace with population growth. The country devotes a relatively large portion of its budget to education (more than 20%). Expressed as a percentage of GNP, the figure is slightly on the rise. However, there has been a small decline in net primary enrolment ratios. Population growth is outstripping budget growth. The schoolage population is growing at a quicker rate than the number of pupils enrolled. This example is typical of the difficult challenge with which the ten countries are faced: increase enrolments in schools—a major goal for most countries—and at the same time cope with the current demographic and budgetary circumstances. In this context, efforts to rationalize the teaching profession such as those undertaken by the WGTP are essential. At the present time, Senegal is implementing a strict policy for the management of higher education in order to rechannel more budget resources to primary and secondary education. C™te d'Ivoire also devotes a large part of its budget to education (up to 47%). One of the conclusions of the C™te d'Ivoire national team is that teachers need to be redeployed. Proper management of teachers, careers, and the establishment of a reliable data and management system are needed. As regards administrative structures, structural adjustments has had an impact on the organization of administrative structures, including ministries of education. Because of the need to control public spending—and to control the growth in the number of civil servants—the countries concerned have given precedence to the ministry of finance and the ministry of civil service. These ministries have been responsible for managing teachers and, in some cases, for organizing recruitment. This situation has been difficult for the ministries of education, which have been disempowered and compelled to prepare school years according to the work plans of the other ministries. In several countries administrative reform is either planned or under way. Assignment and transfer of teachers is another factor which has been analyzed. The ten countries all have important urban centers with a well developed fabric of schools and remote rural areas where schools are scarce due to low population density as well as local social, cultural, and economic customs inhibiting access to schools. Teachers' preference for cities is a frequent problem encountered in the region. Keeping them in rural areas is difficult. Governments must make sure that incentives sush as bonuses and other rewards in kind are attractive enough. The difficulties faced by Mali in this respect are mentioned: teachers' hostility to posts in underprivileged areas; the preference of newly recruited teachers for Bamako and other urban centers; the difficult adjustment of teachers in problem areas; and, even the refusal of some teachers to take up their assignments. Towards the development of national action plans Based on their diagnosis, national teams have begun preparing national action plans aimed at addressing the problems detected. This constitutes the second phase of the TMS program. Several countries have decided to establish procedures for the redistribution of resources and/or the redeployment of existing assets. The report mentions some major proposals, with specific examples coming from national action plans. This article is only a partial overview of Teacher Management and Support in Francophone countries of sub-Saharan Africa. For further reading, interested readers should refer to the full document. The questionnaires have revealed a serious malaise among teachers. The country working groups must cope with wage complaints as well as depressed economies and limited budgetary prospects. Excerpted from ÇGestion et mobilisation des personnels enseignants dans les pays francophones d'Afrique subsaharienneÈ, Working Group on the Teaching Profession, Francophone Section (Paris: French Ministry of Cooperation, 1995) * ÇGestion et mobilisation des personnels enseignants dans les pays francophones d'Afrique subsaharienneÈ. Available in French only. you may contact : Jo‘lle Lanot Ministère de la Coopération, 57 boulevard des Invalides, 75700 Paris Tel: (33) (1) 53 69 37 33 Fax: (33) (1) 53 69 37 77

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