Côte d’Ivoire is a French speaking country with a population of approximately 15 million, of which about a third is non-Ivorians. The size of the country is 124,500 square miles (322,500 sq. kms). The economic capital is Abidjan (population around 3 million) and the political capital is Yamoussoukro, about 240 kms north of Abidjan.

Three Ministries are in charge of the educational system in Côte d’Ivoire.

• Ministère de l'Education Nationale (MEN) (Ministry of Education)
• Ministère de l’Enseignement Technique et de la Formation Professionelle (METFP)
• (Ministry of Technical Education and Professional Training)
• Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique (MESRS)
• (Ministry of Higher Education and Research)

But some Ministries outside these three are involved with professional training

- Agriculture et Ressources Animales (Agriculture and Wild resources)

• Santé Publique (Public Health)
• Famille et Promotion de la Femme (Family and Promotion of Women)
• Sports

The system involves:

(Please note that all figures indicated in this profile are of 1997-1998.)

Enseignement Préscolaire : The pre-school education takes place essentially in urban zones. In 97-98 private schools received 49% of 34999 children in 226 school

Enseignement Primaire : primary education theoretically lasts 6 years. In 97-98 there were 7,698 schools receiving 1,807,503 pupils. 213,634 of these were in private schools (11.8%)

The primary education diploma is Certificat d’Etudes Primaires et Elementaires (CEPE)

The Entrée en 6è exam gives access to secondary education.

Enseignement secondaire Général had a total of 482 schools in the same period with a student population of 539,297. Secondary comprehensive education is divided into two cycles.

Premier cycle: It lasts 4 years. 410.979 students with 34% in private schools

The diploma at the end of the premier cycle is the Brevet d’Etudes du Premier cycle (BEPC).

Second cycle: It lasts 3 years. There were 128,318 students in high schools with 42% in private schools. At the end of the three years the students have to sit for the Baccalaureat which is the diploma that gives access to higher education

Enseignement Secondaire Technique et Professionnel . Technical and Professional education totaled in the period of 97-98 25,541 students with 17,426 in private schools (68.2%)

Côte d’Ivoire has 3 autonomous Universities

• The University of Cocody in Abidjan
• The University of Abobo-Adjamé in Abidjan
• The University of Bouaké in central Côte d’Ivoire

There are 2 University colleges (The University center of Daloa, central-west, and the University Center of Korhogo, north).

The country also has 4 Higher Education Institutions

• Institut National Polytechnique in Yamoussoukro, which is a regrouping of formerly autonomous polytechnic colleges, teaching mainly science and technology, engineering, computer science, business management, and marketing and agricultural science.
• Ecole Normale Supérieure, an Advanced Teacher Training College in Abidjan
• Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Statistique et Economie Appliquée ( National Advanced College of Statistics and Applied Economics)
• Institut Pédagogique National d’Enseignement Technique et Professionnel ( National Pedagogical Institute of Technical and Professional Education) located in Abidjan.

Many private Higher Education Colleges have been created after 1992 and shelter 27% of the students in 47 schools. They generally offer the BTS in the tertiary fields after three years.

In 1997-1998, there were :

• 56,188 students in the state-owned Higher Education Institutions (MESRS)
• 18,394 students in other technical Ministries
• 27,980 students in Private Colleges

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102,562 students.

In Secondary schools and Universities, and other Higher Education Institutions the grading is based on a 20/20 scale.

Grades range from 0/20 to 20/20. 20 being the highest grade possible.

Passing grade is 10 in secondary schools and at universities, and 12 in higher education institutions such as INP (Institut National Polytechnique)

English is the first foreign language taught at school. From secondary to high school (2ème cycle) the Ivorian student who obtains the baccalaureate should have had 7 years of English. English is taught at the Universities in all faculties (Economics, Law, Pharmacy, Medicine, Science, History etc.).

Some schools at the primary level are experimenting the teaching of English from CM1.

Primary education offers the Certificat d’Etudes Primaires Elémentaires (CEPE)

Secondary education (Premier cycle) offers the Brevet d’Etudes du Premier Cycle (BEPC)

(Second cycle) offers the Baccalaureat

The Universities offer:

• Le Deug or Duel at the end of the second year
• La Licence at the end of the third year
• La Maîtrise at the end of the fourth year

At the graduate level they offer:

• Le DEA
• Le DESS
• Le Doctorat d’Etat
• L’Aggregation

These involve more personal work, research and publications.

Technical and professional schools offer the following diplomas:

- B.E.P, B.T., C.A.P

• BAC
• BTS
• DUT

The baccalaureate is of several types:

A (A1, A2, A3, A4)
B
C
D
E
F
G (G1, G2)

All types give access to humanities and Social studies, with a grade average of 12 in the major and 10 in the other subjects.

A1, B, C, D, G1 give access to Economic studies

A, B, C, D, G1 give access to legal studies

A, B, C, D, G1 give access to criminology

C, D, E gives access to all scientific and technological studies - Math, Computer Science, Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Technology, and Geology.

Acronyms and Abbreviations

B.A.C Baccalaureat

B.E.P.C. Brevet d’Etudes du Premier Cycle

B.T. Brevet de Technicien

B.E.P. Brevet d’Etudes Professionnelles

C.A.F.O.P. Centre d’Animation et de Formation Pédagogique

C.A.P. Certificat d’Apptitude Professionnelle

C.E. Concours d’Entrée

C.E.P.E. Certificat d’Etudes Primaires Elémentaires

C.E.T. Collège d’Enseignement Technique

C.E.T.C. Collège d’Enseignement Technique Commercial

C.E.T.F. Collège d’Enseignement Technique Féminin

C.E.T.I. Collège d ‘Enseignement Technique Inndustriel

C.F.A. Centre de Formation Artisanale

C.F.P. Centre de Formation Professionnelle

C.Q.P. Certificat de Qualification Professionnelle

CP, CE, CM. Cours Préparatoires, Cours Elémentaires, Cours Moyens

ENS Enseignement

ETABL. Etablissement

GEN. Général

PS, MS, GS. Petite, Moyenne, et Grande Section

PROF. Professionnel

SEC. Secondaire

TE. Test d’Entrée

TECH Technique

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Prepared by:

Cecile Imboua-Niava
Educational Adviser
Public Affairs Section
US Embassy Abidjan
Tel: (225) 22-44-07-45 / 22-44-05-97
Fax: (225) 22-44-53-96
E-mail: cinabid@pd.state.gov or cinabid@yahoo.com