Senegal wants proof that its schools are really online 💻🇸🇳

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Senegal is trying to get a clearer picture of which of its schools are actually connected. On September 28, 2026, a mission from the Giga initiative, which traveled from Geneva with a UNICEF team, met with the secretary general of the Ministry of National Education. The aim: improve how internet access in schools is tracked and get more precise data on the situation across the country. The talks brought together education officials and technical staff, including representatives of the Directorate for Education Planning and Reform (DPRE) and the Division for the Promotion of Information and Communication Technologies (DPTIC).

Mapping schools to measure connectivity 🗺️

Mapping schools was one of the mission’s main priorities. It is meant to show more clearly which schools are already online, which still struggle to get access, and what needs remain unmet. For the ministry and its partners, precise data should make it easier to plan investments and set connectivity priorities.

That information is also expected to help track how internet access evolves and flag areas that need further intervention. In short, Giga’s mission is meant to strengthen the ministry’s tools so it has an up-to-date view of connectivity in Senegalese schools.

Connection quality is on the radar too 📶

Beyond whether a school has an internet connection at all, the work also looked at how that connection is actually used. Speed, stability and availability can determine whether a school can make real use of digital tools.

That goes beyond simply counting connected schools. The aim is to better understand real-world access conditions and the difficulties schools may be facing.

Le suivi de la connectivité en temps réel 📊

Technical discussions also covered tools for monitoring school connectivity in real time. The Giga Meter is among the solutions reviewed during the mission.

The tool could improve the availability of information on internet access in schools, with the goal of having regularly updated data on the state of digital infrastructure.

But collecting that data is only a first step. Putting it to use will be what lets the ministry and its partners spot the difficulties schools face and plan the necessary actions. Regular monitoring could also help assess progress as connectivity rolls out.

Field visits to check the data 🏫

The mission included technical discussions and visits to schools. The idea is to compare the data on paper with what can be observed directly in classrooms.

This is meant to keep monitoring from relying solely on theoretical or administrative information. The visits can help identify the technical constraints schools face and better understand users’ needs. They also give the different stakeholders a way to improve the quality of the information used to prepare the next steps.

It also allows a closer look at specific situations, since needs can vary from one school or region to another. A school with internet access does not necessarily enjoy the same conditions as another that looks identical on paper.

Clarifying what comes next 🤝

The joint work is also expected to clarify who does what among the partners involved in monitoring school connectivity. Cooperation between Senegal’s Ministry of National Education, Giga and UNICEF requires regular coordination to track progress, share data and define actions.

The talks held during the mission are therefore meant to sharpen the next steps of the shared effort, covering both the current situation and preparations for future rollouts. That coordination should help align the technical, institutional and educational sides of school connectivity.

Connectivity built around students and teachers 📚

During the meeting, Papa Malick Ndao, secretary general of the Ministry of National Education, stressed the educational purpose of connectivity. The message: internet access in schools shouldn’t be treated as a purely technical goal. It also has to meet the needs of students and teachers and support genuinely useful teaching and learning practices.

That puts users at the center of digitization efforts. For students, a better connection could make it easier to reach digital learning resources and a range of educational content. For teachers, it could encourage the use of digital tools in classroom activities and lesson preparation. The challenge is to turn internet access into a real tool for education, rather than just infrastructure that happens to exist in school buildings.

Through this work, Senegal is trying to better measure how its schools get online and to bring digital infrastructure closer to the real needs of education communities. The next phase will rely on using the data collected, identifying schools that need extra support and defining actions with partners. The stated goal remains to make connectivity directly useful to students and teachers across the country.

Can regular monitoring of school connectivity really improve students’ and teachers’ access to digital tools? Tell us what you think in the comments.