This research paper is based on a study carried out from september 2019 to november 2020 by a pluridisciplinary social sciences team in six countries : Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Senegal. During the last two decades, the offer of islamic education in the Sahel has been greatly renewed and diversified, thanks to he dynamics speficic to the societies, but also in connection with the commitment of international organisations and States in favor of Education for all politics. The pluralism that caracterizes the offer of islamic education, due to the existence of several sensivities and various sources of funding, poses multidimensional challenges to the countries concerned, particularly in their ability to articulate different, even antagonistic training systems, as well as in their desire to design relevant educational policies in these contexts. The reforms carried out by the public authorities are still partial, while many actors with diverse and sometimes conflicting interests seek to make their mark in the national and sub-regional educational fields. The future of education systems is therefore closely linked to the will of States to organize and govern Arab-islamic education, so present and rooted in local social dynamics, but insufficiently taken into account in its complexity and its permanence.

Religious education, Youth

This multi-country study evaluates bilingual and multilingual education initiatives in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Despite decades of political commitment and legal frameworks supporting bilingual schooling, its implementation remains limited. The use of national languages alongside French is shown to enhance learning outcomes, yet systemic barriers persist: lack of teacher training, insufficient teaching materials, and weak institutional follow-up. While promising programs like ELAN, SIRA, and Tin Tua exist, their scalability is hindered by inconsistent funding and logistical challenges. The study recommends targeted action plans, increased investment, structured governance, and context-specific teacher training to scale bilingual education. The goal is to align formal education with learners' linguistic realities and improve the quality and accessibility of education across the Sahel.

Education, Youth, Soicial sciences, Researh

This synthesis report evaluates multilingual education (MLE) policies and practices across six West African countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria). It highlights the development of policy frameworks, institutional strategies, and grassroots experiences related to the use of national languages in education. Although there is growing recognition of the benefits of using local languages for learning, implementation remains inconsistent and underfunded. The report identifies key challenges such as insufficient trained personnel, lack of teaching materials, and limited language standardization. It recommends policy harmonization, enhanced teacher training, stronger political advocacy, and sustainable financing. The study advocates for regional engagement and intersectoral coordination to support inclusive, quality, and culturally relevant education systems.

Education, Youth, Soicial sciences, Researh