Négocier la réforme des écoles coraniques dans le nord du Senegal: idéologie, autorité religieuse et statut socioéconomique

Throughout West Africa, the Universal Education movement has prompted a greater insistence on reform in Koranic schools, especially in teaching. The pressure comes from above (governments, international donors and nongovernmental organizations) and below (teachers and students). Some Koranic teachers have made reforms while others strongly resist any form of change. The reasons for these opposed reactions remains poorly understood. Analyzing findings from ethnographic interviews conducted with two Koranic teachers in northern Senegal, this article argues for a micro-approach, one that examines the relationship between national- and international-level reforms and the actions of Koranic teachers anchored in local situations.