Post-Visit: Post-colonial CLRT

The Sun Shines on Senegal

Reflection: What does Culturally and Linguistically Responsive (CLRT) education and assessment look like in a post-colonial context? 

I write this reflection just on the tail end of an assassination of a known white supremacist (whose name I omit purposefully). A man who spouted hateful rhetoric to a wide swath of marginalized peoples. 

And yet, the current president of the United States has flags flying at half mast in order to mourn his death. A president whose own rhetoric mirrors that of the unnamed, and whose mere presence has unearthed a dormant cadre of hate over the past decade. Additionally, he has made it his mission to undo every policy change of the last century that had served the purpose of a more equitable future. 

The urgency of Culturally and Linguistically Responsive (CLRT) education has never been more apparent. And yet, even that acronym feels hollow, we need something deeper than a set of frameworks, we need a deep subterranean shift in the minds and hearts of the world. This shift feels daunting and overwhelming. Many of us don't have the time, the resources, and for some, the will, to even make this change. 

And yet, on the other side of the world, change is still happening. 

In 2024, Senegal elected its fifth and youngest president ever, Bassirou Faye. But the real star is the newly appointed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, a tax-administrator turned whistleblower, who helped catalyze a massive resistance movement In Senegal. The new regime promises change and hope. In Senegal, our consultants were exuberant as they told us of his story. There is a whiff of Obama-scented optimism In the air. 

I Interviewed Aly Ndao, one of my Fulbright hosts, and and English language teacher, who specialized in post-colonial studies in graduate school. In this Interview, we discuss his responses to the regime change, and the Implications this has for Senegalese people. This Interview encapsualtes many of the key themes that were unearth In my research question. For example, a) education in a post-colonial environment, b) the travails of a developing nation, c) widespread poverty, d) gender disparities in education. 

On to my question. What does CLRT look like in a post-colonial and assessment look like in a post-colonial context? I did manage to gather a few conclusions. 

1. It's aspirational. Many students and teachers outlined that Senegal is very much still in the decolonial process. Native languages like Woloft are sparsely taught, ethnic cultures in Senegal are not yet studied, and paradigms based on colonial school systems are still very much in place. 

2. But it's the aspirations that make education powerful. Students and teachers seemed driven by a profound sense of purpose. It was not "to do better on the test" or merely "to get a job." The goals I heard were "to help my family," or "to help my country." There's a shared mission in place that makes education (for those who choose It) extremely powerful. To be honest, I'm pessimistic that we can galvanize this type of purpose for education In the U.S anytime soon, because while we still deal with numerous oppressions, we have the accoutrements of progress that can dull any revolutionary sense In our students.  

3. It centers community. In the school I worked at, we interviewed a counselor/dean of students who transformed the culture of a school. When we asked her how she did It, it was not unlike much of what we hear about CLRT today. She spoke of building connections with students, and involving families as much as possible. And of course, Senegal Is still more homogenous than the United States, which might create a shared sense of connection. 

4. It requires Infrastucture. At the end of the day however, the chief concerns on most peoples minds was money. Schools in Senegal need supplies. Famliies need money for school. Boys leave school early to get jobs. The country needs money to create jobs and economic opportunity. This is the same In the United States -- we cannot keep discussing education without talking about systemic change. Another name for CLRT is relevant, and I wage that we cannot keep trying to get our students to "love learning," when the "love" of learning doesn't pay the bills. (At least directly).