Språk, utbildning och "utveckling" i det postkoloniala Senegal

This article deals with the language situation in postcolonial Senegal from a Cultural Studies and postcolonial theories perspective. Ever since independence, French has been maintained as the only language of teaching, whereas the national languages are used mainly in private context. Educational problems in Senegal have by the majority of the country's linguists been referred to the language situation. Today a third initiative of introducing the national languages in 155 of the public schools is being tried out. Based on interviews with students from a private high school situated in the centre town of Dakar and a public one situated in the suburb of Pikine, this article discusses how the language norm of Senegalese schools influences ideas on "development" and power in the "globalised" society. Their way of arguing on national languages and French are analyzed in relation to categories such as social class, sex and ethnic belonging. The conclusion of this article is that a structure where French is the only language of teaching results in an educational system which is maintaining social hierarchies rather than having an effect of equalization.