Berkley Center

Background: As part of the Education and Social Justice Project, undergraduate student Sabrina Khan interviewed Sister Pascaline Ndione, the principal at Anne Marie Javouhey School (Cours Anne Marie Javouhey), located in Dakar, Senegal. In this interview, conducted in July 2015, Ndione discusses her experiences as principal and her concerns about the future of education in Senegal. 

What are your daily responsibilities as principal?

I am in charge of the administration, and I coordinate all pedagogical activities of the school. Every Thursday I meet with the six prefects or directors of study and the general surveyor who is in charge of discipline. I coordinate and validate all of the extracurricular activities: cultural and athletic clubs, cultural days, artistic projects, field trips, soccer games, etc.

How old is this school?

The school was founded in 1950.

How many students and teachers are at this school?

There are 3,407 students, but the number of teachers is difficult to count because it is not fixed because of adjunct teachers who teach part-time. There are around 100 teachers.

What is the greatest challenge facing your school?

There is the challenge of maintaining excellence, but there is also the education of Catholic values. Thus, if there is a major challenge, it’s the education of values. People often think we are just here to give mathematics, physics, or philosophy classes, while forgetting the cultivation of values. Conforming to values is becoming more and more difficult.

You mentioned values like discipline. What other important values are there?

Respect for authority. This is a value we try to preserve in our school. Who are the authorities? They include the principal, the prefect, parents, and the teacher, but it also includes the janitor who we have to respect like any other elder. Respect for teachers is a value we especially must always preserve. You could also add respect for the environment, cleanliness, order, silence, solidarity, peace, and professional dress.

If you could change something about your school, what would you change?

If I could change something, it would be the lack of organization or rigor in our work we sometimes experience. I would like us to have everything well organized and to not waste time. I also want students and teachers to cultivate a greater sense of gratuitousness in their work. They ask for money for everything they do. Gratuitousness consists of doing something without expecting anything in return—a kind of everyday volunteering. It’s, for example, holding a class during your free time while a colleague is absent. It’s a commitment to being with students who have difficulties. Now we can’t ask anything without people asking to be paid an extra hour. If I see a need, I do it because I feel concerned. It’s spontaneity in action.

What are you proudest of in your school?

I am very proud of our academic results and also the privilege of having many students. Many want to come to our school because of the quality of teaching and the values we develop among students. We often have difficulty satisfying the demand. We also try to have the lowest possible number of students who quit school because of poverty by collaborating with the parents’ associations to provide scholarships.

What are your plans for growth?

We have many academic projects, including the advancement of our science classes through laboratories. We also want to add a computer room and a bigger library. Of course, we must also continue to have competent, professional, and service-oriented teachers.

According to your experience and observation, how would you describe the interreligious environment here?

Teaching according to Catholic values is part of our identity. We have a lot more Muslims than Christians in this school, but that does not prevent us from transmitting the values according to our faith. We transmit values such as justice, gender equality, respect for others, solidarity, hard work, etc. We also do not forget that these Catholic values are universal values. We preserve our Catholic identity: morning prayers are offered to everyone. No one is forced to participate, but attendees must respect the silence. What is marvelous is that a lot of students who are not Catholic ask for prayers for their peers. The students get along very well with each other. There is no discrimination—students are happy to celebrate Mardi Gras and Christmas together.

What is the role of education in interreligious dialogue and understanding?

Education is the prerequisite for a fruitful interreligious dialogue. I think that our school plays a very important role in the promotion of this dialogue. We welcome everyone without discrimination. We educate youth to respect other religions and to not try to impose their convictions on others by force or violence. We encourage everyone to welcome others, because we are not exclusive to either Catholics or Muslims. Students discuss their courses together and understand that they have the same opportunities, rights, and duties. In general, the students are all believers, and religion is not a source of division. They learn this from a very young age—in the cradle—to welcome differences in cultures, races, and religions. Nearly 70 percent of our students are Muslim, and we live in harmony thanks to the education we provide. Schools are made to educate through peace and respect for one another.

How does education play a role in Senegal’s future?

First, education intellectually develops a person. We prepare students for the development of an active and professional life. This contributes to the future development of Senegal. We not only intellectually develop students, but we also form their consciences. I think that is what really shows the importance of education in the future development of our country. Development begins there. There are a lot of youth who go through our schools; they excel in university because of this. Businesses and graduate schools love to have students from Catholic schools like our own because they know that we form elites and the citizens of tomorrow. Catholic education plays an almost irreplaceable role in Senegalese education. We have a great place, and we do a lot for our country.

In your opinion, what does it mean to be Catholic?

First, it means to believe in Jesus Christ, son of God and Mary. Christ is God who became incarnated in man and who came to save man from his sins. So, it’s first faith, but it’s also living your faith. Jesus preached charity and love for all people, including our enemies. That is the greatness of a Christian citizen—the commandment to love. This idea is central to Catholicism.

Do you think there is a link between religion and education?

The term “educate” refers to the formation of the moral conscience. Religion addresses the conscience that normally prompts people to live according to the right values and morals. You can say that education is in the service of religion, but religion is also in the service of education. Religion proposes values that are often universal. Faith and reason can coexist to show us what a “good life” means. A value such as liberty, for example, is a universal value of religion and of reason. There is a complementarity.