We hope that the saga of our best student Diary Sow will help to open the eyes of our leaders who since Senghor harbor an unfounded complex for the great French schools which are truly great only in France. Let us consult the world ranking of the best universities to see that the prestigious French schools are to be searched in the deepest schools of the ranking.
Why, should the reference be systematically sought among our former colonizers who are today overtaken by China, Japan not to mention the USA whose universities have always been at the top of the bill of the best universities in the world, only jostled by the English University of Oxford. Why all the hullabaloo that made the young girl from Malicounda trip up, who in addition to the culture shock must certainly have realized that the level of our national education makes it difficult to compete with the best French students? Senegalese students, girls also from elsewhere, have succeeded in integrating the holy grail that is Yale University without raising waves, a university that has trained many American presidents and that all American parents dream of for their children. \
You have to know how to keep it right! Failing to retain them in Senegal, should we not seek to train our best students in China, a country which has managed to extricate itself from underdevelopment as we are trying to do. Or in India or Brazil, which still know poverty and nevertheless develop technically and scientifically at the speed of light. This is a lesson to be learned, let us accept that our education system needs massive and quality investments so that the best products can compete in the best establishments in northern countries. The ideal is to train our best students at home like Morocco does. The Crown Prince began his university cycle at Mohamed VI University which aims to be a world benchmark university. In short, let’s create the conditions for excellence at home and keep our best brains at home. Besides, how many of our “geniuses” have returned unscathed to serve our country? As for Diary Sow, we wish her a safe return to normality that she should never have left and that we stop waving as a trophy these fragile young shoots who have distinguished themselves in a school system in notorious loss of quality.
By Professor Issa Lam / Virginia / United States
