Case Des Tout-Petits: Reforming Early Childhood Education in Senegal

Education systems around the world are grappling with how to respond to a significant global health crisis stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the leadership of President Abdoulaye Wade, in the early 2000s, Senegal undertook a significant educational reform that sought to address disparities in academic and health challenges faced by early learners. This chapter examines Cases des Tout-Petits, a reform targeting children 0–6 years old, through the lens of Fernando Reimer’s five perspectives of educational change. This chapter offers insights to policy makers, researchers, educators, and program designers around the world interested in learning from a dual reform that dramatically shifted the early childhood development landscape in Senegal.