A Discussion with Yvette Diop, National Secretary-General of the Teachers’ Union of the National Office of Catholic Teaching of Senegal, Dakar, Senegal
With: Yvette Diop Berkley Center Profile
July 13, 2015
Background: As
part of the Education and Social Justice Project, undergraduate student Sabrina
Khan interviewed Yvette Keïte Diop, who is the national secretary-general of the teachers’
union sponsored by the National Office
of Catholic Teaching of Senegal (Office
National de l'Enseignement Catholique du Sénégal, ONECS). In this interview, conducted in July 2015,
Diop discusses the function of the union and its role in the Catholic education
system.
What are your daily
responsibilities as head of the teacher’s union?
I am the national secretary-general for the union for teachers of Catholic schools in Senegal. Senegal is divided into seven dioceses. I have a national position and coordinate activities across the seven regions. I try to work for the best working and living conditions for teachers. If these conditions are good, the results will be good.
What do you like the best about your job?
I like helping teachers to have good health care and to prevent disease. Many of our teachers are reimbursed for their health care costs, because when health conditions are good, students benefit, and I am happy.
What advantages does the union offer teachers?
We offer housing and subsidies to help teachers find private housing. Additionally, we also try to enact the working conditions recommended by UNESCO. According to these recommendations, most of the work teachers do can be done from home, such as grading and preparing the curriculum. With good housing and good working conditions, teachers are happy, and we see the results.
How many members does the union have?
There are 17,000 members.
What is the greatest challenge facing the union today?
Today, there are problems in certain regions. Because of rebellion and civil strife, many parents have become displaced, and agriculture has suffered. Because of this resulting poverty, many schools closed as well, since the teachers’ salaries could not be paid. It’s now been four months without a salary for certain teachers. If private schools are to help the state by teaching more students, the state must financially support private schools. We Catholic schools can manage, but it’s very difficult. We have not received state subsidies since June 2014. I have written to the minister of education, but nothing has happened.
If you could change something about the teaching conditions in Catholic schools, what would you change?
I would change the ONECS statutes to allow teachers to participate more in bureaucratic decision-making, because teachers have things to say and their own opinions. Currently, the decision-makers include priests and everyone else but the teachers. No one can speak on behalf of the teachers, however. If the workers themselves participate in the decision-making process, there will be better conditions. In businesses, workers give their opinion and participate, but in our system, teachers don’t get the opportunity to express their opinions.
Can you comment on the interreligious dynamic among teachers at Catholic schools? How do Catholic values transcend the religious identity of the teacher?
In our union, we say that there are teachers from Catholic schools. We do not say we are a Catholic union. There are Muslim teachers. I know that Catholic values have a lot of influence on others. Teachers in our schools are a lot more disciplined than teachers from public schools. Our students are more calm and serious.
How does education play a role in Senegal’s future?
Education has a great importance in Senegal’s future. What country do we want to be? Youth must be well-educated, and they must know values. Education also includes moral, ethical, and civic values, especially ethical ones, since that relates to the behavior of a person. Furthermore, morality is the capacity to distinguish good from bad. If children have moral, ethical, and civic values, they grow up well. In Catholic schools, we closely hold onto our values and the idea of living together. Living together is what makes a state. If youth learn to live together from a young age, they will grow up well.
However, there are problems with difficulties in life that hinder youth education. Problems in the home, like not having enough to eat, can make students quit school. This is especially true in areas with a lot of poverty, where a lot of young girls get married.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I hope to have partners for teachers to exchange experiences. For example, we can invite teachers here to see how we live, and Senegalese teachers can go to your school to see what happens. This can improve the work on both sides. I want to share the experiences, especially with Canadians and Americans who speak French.
I am the national secretary-general for the union for teachers of Catholic schools in Senegal. Senegal is divided into seven dioceses. I have a national position and coordinate activities across the seven regions. I try to work for the best working and living conditions for teachers. If these conditions are good, the results will be good.
What do you like the best about your job?
I like helping teachers to have good health care and to prevent disease. Many of our teachers are reimbursed for their health care costs, because when health conditions are good, students benefit, and I am happy.
What advantages does the union offer teachers?
We offer housing and subsidies to help teachers find private housing. Additionally, we also try to enact the working conditions recommended by UNESCO. According to these recommendations, most of the work teachers do can be done from home, such as grading and preparing the curriculum. With good housing and good working conditions, teachers are happy, and we see the results.
How many members does the union have?
There are 17,000 members.
What is the greatest challenge facing the union today?
Today, there are problems in certain regions. Because of rebellion and civil strife, many parents have become displaced, and agriculture has suffered. Because of this resulting poverty, many schools closed as well, since the teachers’ salaries could not be paid. It’s now been four months without a salary for certain teachers. If private schools are to help the state by teaching more students, the state must financially support private schools. We Catholic schools can manage, but it’s very difficult. We have not received state subsidies since June 2014. I have written to the minister of education, but nothing has happened.
If you could change something about the teaching conditions in Catholic schools, what would you change?
I would change the ONECS statutes to allow teachers to participate more in bureaucratic decision-making, because teachers have things to say and their own opinions. Currently, the decision-makers include priests and everyone else but the teachers. No one can speak on behalf of the teachers, however. If the workers themselves participate in the decision-making process, there will be better conditions. In businesses, workers give their opinion and participate, but in our system, teachers don’t get the opportunity to express their opinions.
Can you comment on the interreligious dynamic among teachers at Catholic schools? How do Catholic values transcend the religious identity of the teacher?
In our union, we say that there are teachers from Catholic schools. We do not say we are a Catholic union. There are Muslim teachers. I know that Catholic values have a lot of influence on others. Teachers in our schools are a lot more disciplined than teachers from public schools. Our students are more calm and serious.
How does education play a role in Senegal’s future?
Education has a great importance in Senegal’s future. What country do we want to be? Youth must be well-educated, and they must know values. Education also includes moral, ethical, and civic values, especially ethical ones, since that relates to the behavior of a person. Furthermore, morality is the capacity to distinguish good from bad. If children have moral, ethical, and civic values, they grow up well. In Catholic schools, we closely hold onto our values and the idea of living together. Living together is what makes a state. If youth learn to live together from a young age, they will grow up well.
However, there are problems with difficulties in life that hinder youth education. Problems in the home, like not having enough to eat, can make students quit school. This is especially true in areas with a lot of poverty, where a lot of young girls get married.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I hope to have partners for teachers to exchange experiences. For example, we can invite teachers here to see how we live, and Senegalese teachers can go to your school to see what happens. This can improve the work on both sides. I want to share the experiences, especially with Canadians and Americans who speak French.
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