A Discussion with Henry Diadhiou, President of the Diocesan Union of Associations of Parents of Pupils of Catholic Education of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
With: Henry Diadhiou Berkley Center Profile
July 16, 2015
Background: As
part of the Education and Social Justice Project, undergraduate student
Sabrina Khan interviewed Henry Diadhiou, who serves as the president of the
Diocesan Union of Associations of Parents of Pupils of Catholic Education of
Dakar (L’union diocésaine des associations de parents d’élèves de
l’enseignement catholique, UDAPEC). In this interview, conducted in July 2015, Diadhiou
discusses the association and its challenges, including member retention.
Can you
describe your daily responsibilities?
From time to time, I go to different establishments and meet with the presidents of the APECs [Association des parents d’élèves de l’enseignement catholique, Associations of Parents of Pupils of Catholic Education]. In Dakar, I devote myself to Sacred Heart College [Collège Sacre Cœur], where I am president of the parents’ association.
How many members make up the UDAPEC of Dakar?
There are 20 members. The board has three members: the president, treasurer, and secretary general.
How do you hope to improve life for students?
At Sacred Heart College, we have a project to make shelters in establishments for rest or during recreation. The shelters are places where students can avoid the sun, rain, or snow. UDAPEC also has a project to improve cafeterias in rural zones.
What do you think attracts non-Catholic parents to Catholic schools?
The discipline and rigor in our work. Most of the high examination results come from Catholic establishments. These values [of rigor and discipline] exist more profoundly in Catholic establishments than in public schools. Even though we all live together, education is not the same. In private Catholic schools and even in homes, there is a certain discipline. No one ever goes on strike in Catholic schools.
What values do Catholic schools try to instill in students?
The savoir vivre, the savoir faire—how to live in society with mutual respect. That is very much instilled in our schools. In general, when a student speaks, you can tell whether they came from a Catholic or public school.
How do you try to encourage the participation of parents?
It is the most difficult thing to do. Any parent who has a child in one of our schools can be a member of our association, but it is not mandatory. The associations are voluntary. At the beginning of the year, there are many members, but by the end of the year there are only a handful. A study is underway to see how to motivate members to stay. We also want to look at how the state can subsidize our parental associations.
Is there something you would like to add that we have not discussed?
The parents’ associations in Catholic schools do not function in the same way as the associations in public schools. We are much more structured.
From time to time, I go to different establishments and meet with the presidents of the APECs [Association des parents d’élèves de l’enseignement catholique, Associations of Parents of Pupils of Catholic Education]. In Dakar, I devote myself to Sacred Heart College [Collège Sacre Cœur], where I am president of the parents’ association.
How many members make up the UDAPEC of Dakar?
There are 20 members. The board has three members: the president, treasurer, and secretary general.
How do you hope to improve life for students?
At Sacred Heart College, we have a project to make shelters in establishments for rest or during recreation. The shelters are places where students can avoid the sun, rain, or snow. UDAPEC also has a project to improve cafeterias in rural zones.
What do you think attracts non-Catholic parents to Catholic schools?
The discipline and rigor in our work. Most of the high examination results come from Catholic establishments. These values [of rigor and discipline] exist more profoundly in Catholic establishments than in public schools. Even though we all live together, education is not the same. In private Catholic schools and even in homes, there is a certain discipline. No one ever goes on strike in Catholic schools.
What values do Catholic schools try to instill in students?
The savoir vivre, the savoir faire—how to live in society with mutual respect. That is very much instilled in our schools. In general, when a student speaks, you can tell whether they came from a Catholic or public school.
How do you try to encourage the participation of parents?
It is the most difficult thing to do. Any parent who has a child in one of our schools can be a member of our association, but it is not mandatory. The associations are voluntary. At the beginning of the year, there are many members, but by the end of the year there are only a handful. A study is underway to see how to motivate members to stay. We also want to look at how the state can subsidize our parental associations.
Is there something you would like to add that we have not discussed?
The parents’ associations in Catholic schools do not function in the same way as the associations in public schools. We are much more structured.
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