6 Key Lessons from a Remedial Education Program in Senegal

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many students around the world fell behind academically. In Senegal, this challenge became particularly visible among young learners who were struggling with basic reading and math skills.

To address this issue, ARED (Associates in Research and Education for Development)—a Senegalese nonprofit founded in 1990—launched a remedial learning initiative aimed at students in grades 2 and 3 who were unable to read simple words.

The program, called Ndaw Wune—which means “Success for All” in Wolof and “Every Child” in Pulaar—focuses on helping at-risk students develop foundational literacy and numeracy skills. It uses local Senegalese languages, structured teaching methods, and skill-based learning groups to support children who are at risk of academic failure or dropping out of school.

Ndaw Wune aligns with Senegal’s national bilingual education reform known as MOHEBS (Unified Framework for Bilingual Education in Senegal), which is gradually being implemented across the country.

The program operates in two formats. The school-year cycle offers two-hour sessions three afternoons per week when schools are closed. The vacation cycle runs during the long holiday period—often from June to November in rural areas—with three-hour sessions held three times a week for eight weeks.

A recent evaluation conducted by AIR (American Institutes for Research) found that students participating in the program made notable improvements in literacy skills. Gains were recorded in decoding ability, reading fluency, and reading comprehension in national languages, with increases of 0.42, 0.32, and 0.14 standard deviations respectively.

Below are six important lessons drawn from the evaluation that highlight the potential of structured remediation programs in West Africa.

1. Structured Teaching Approaches Can Deliver Significant Learning Gains

The Ndaw Wune program is built around a structured and differentiated learning model designed to support students with varying skill levels.

At the beginning of the school year, students who struggle with reading and basic math are identified through assessments. These students are then placed into groups according to their learning levels.

Teachers receive carefully designed instructional guides for each group. This structure reduces preparation time and cognitive load for teachers, allowing them to focus more effectively on instruction.

Students also work with leveled workbooks that keep them engaged during each session, while lessons are delivered in languages that teachers and students already speak. Local government institutions are also involved to help ensure the program’s long-term sustainability.

While similar structured models have been implemented in other countries, the Ndaw Wune evaluation is the first rigorous evidence from West Africa demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.

2. Reading Outcomes Improved More Than Math Results

The program showed stronger progress in reading than in mathematics, highlighting the need for further research on effective math instruction—especially in bilingual learning environments.

Several factors help explain this difference.

For nearly a decade, Senegal has implemented bilingual instruction for reading in primary schools. However, bilingual teaching for mathematics only began expanding after the evaluation period. This created a language mismatch: math was taught in French in regular classrooms, while Ndaw Wune lessons used local languages.

In addition, standardized frameworks for teaching mathematics—particularly in remedial settings—are less developed than those for reading.

The math component of the program is also less structured compared to the literacy component. As Senegal gradually introduces bilingual math instruction starting in first grade, new questions are emerging about the most effective teaching approaches for multilingual classrooms.

3. Expanding Bilingual Education Across Multiple Languages Is Complex

Scaling a bilingual learning program presents unique challenges in multilingual education systems like Senegal’s.

Currently, Ndaw Wune operates in the three most widely spoken Senegalese languages. However, the country officially recognizes eight national languages, some of which are spoken by smaller populations.

Evaluation findings revealed that most students are primarily monolingual in a national language, and program outcomes were strongest in regions where Wolof, the most widely spoken language, dominates.

This highlights potential challenges for national expansion, particularly given centralized teacher assignment policies and the limited number of educators fluent in smaller community languages.

Possible solutions include:

• Considering teachers’ language abilities when assigning them to schools

• Offering incentives for teachers to work in regions where certain languages are underrepresented

• Providing instructional materials in both national languages and French

• Developing digital resources to help teachers strengthen their literacy skills in the languages they teach

These issues are not unique to Senegal; they are relevant to many multilingual countries implementing national-language education reforms.

4. Program Costs Depend on Integration with the Public Education System

The evaluation estimated that the Ndaw Wune program costs around $144 per student, which may seem high. However, much of this cost is linked to the program operating alongside the public education system rather than being fully integrated into it.

Major cost drivers include stipends paid to teachers and supervisors for extra teaching hours and expenses related to learning materials and logistics.

If the program were incorporated into the regular school system and implemented at a larger scale, the cost could drop significantly—to about $25 per student.

While this still represents an investment, it would be roughly 10% of the average annual education spending per student in sub-Saharan Africa, according to UNESCO statistics.

This suggests that integrating remedial programs into the national education system could make them more sustainable over time.

5. Implementation Quality Strongly Influences Results

The evaluation also revealed that the success of the program depends heavily on how well it is implemented.

Even when schools used the same materials and teaching methods, outcomes varied across regions. For example, students in Kaolack achieved stronger learning gains than those in Matam, highlighting the importance of monitoring classroom implementation closely.

Maintaining high implementation fidelity—ensuring that the program is delivered as designed—is a major priority within Senegal’s broader bilingual education reform.

ARED has introduced improved monitoring tools, including simplified reporting systems and AI-powered dashboards that track progress and identify classrooms needing additional support.

In partnership with the Ministry of National Education, a pilot project is also monitoring 100 classrooms to improve oversight of both remediation programs and the rollout of bilingual instruction in early grades.

These data-driven feedback systems help ensure that educational interventions maintain their impact when scaled.

6. Decoding Gains Alone Are Not Enough for Reading Comprehension

Although Ndaw Wune students showed strong progress in decoding skills, improvements in reading comprehension were more modest.

This is largely because reading comprehension requires a higher level of fluency—about 50 words per minute—which many students have not yet reached.

Additionally, students often have limited oral language vocabulary, even in familiar languages, which can affect their ability to fully understand written text.

As students move into higher grades, educators face a dual challenge: continuing to strengthen foundational reading skills while also developing vocabulary and comprehension strategies.

To address this issue, ARED is currently conducting further research with upper primary students in southern Senegal to explore methods that strengthen reading comprehension as academic demands increase.

Final Thoughts

The Ndaw Wune program provides valuable insights into how structured remediation can support struggling learners in multilingual education systems.

Its early success demonstrates the potential of targeted interventions that combine structured teaching methods, local-language instruction, and careful monitoring.

These lessons may also guide other countries seeking to improve foundational learning outcomes. With continued research and refinement, programs like Ndaw Wune could play a key role in helping ensure that every child gains the reading skills needed to succeed in school and beyond.