38/32/Add.1 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education on her mission to Côte d’Ivoire

GE.18-06824 (E) 180518 220518



Human Rights Council Thirty-eighth session

18 June–6 July 2018

Agenda item 3

Promotion and protection of all human rights,

civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights,

including the right to development

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education on her mission to Côte d’Ivoire

Note by the Secretariat

The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Human Rights Council the report of

the Special Rapporteur on the right to education on her mission to Côte d’Ivoire from 4 to

11 December 2017.

In her report, the Special Rapporteur welcomes the progress made by the Ivorian

Government, which has incorporated the right to education into the Constitution and the

National Development Plan and has allocated over 20 per cent of its budget to education

and training. She reviews the legal framework governing the education system and the

improvements made in order to achieve “the four As” of the right to education: availability,

accessibility, acceptability and adaptability.

In her report, the Special Rapporteur describes not only the considerable progress

made with respect to the right to education but also the major challenges faced by Côte

d’Ivoire. She acknowledges the key role played by parents and the community in education

management; the importance of continuous financial support for the various entities that

assist the Government in its efforts to provide free, quality education for all; and the need to

modernize and increase the appeal of technical education and vocational training.

Lastly, the Special Rapporteur makes recommendations on how to step up efforts at

the national level to implement the right to education in Côte d’Ivoire and to achieve

Sustainable Development Goal 4 by ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and

promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

United Nations A/HRC/38/32/Add.1

General Assembly Distr.: General 30 April 2018

English

Original: French

A/HRC/38/32/Add.1

2 GE.18-06824

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education on her mission to Côte d’Ivoire*

Contents

Page

I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3

II. Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 3

III. Legal framework governing the right to education ....................................................................... 4

A. International obligations of Côte d’Ivoire ............................................................................. 4

B. The right to education and the national legal system ............................................................ 5

IV. The education system in Côte d’Ivoire .......................................................................................... 5

A. Preschool, primary and secondary education ........................................................................ 5

B. Technical education and vocational training ........................................................................ 7

C. Higher education ................................................................................................................... 7

D. Community participation: school management committees ................................................. 8

V. The four As of the right to education ............................................................................................ 8

A. Availability ........................................................................................................................... 9

B. Accessibility ......................................................................................................................... 10

C. Acceptability ......................................................................................................................... 10

D. Adaptability .......................................................................................................................... 11

VI. Key issues concerning the education system ................................................................................. 11

A. Inclusive education ............................................................................................................... 11

B. Child and adult literacy ......................................................................................................... 12

C. Students’ academic performance .......................................................................................... 12

D. Measures to promote technical education and vocational training ....................................... 13

E. Innovation and good practices in the Ivorian education system ........................................... 13

VII. Conclusions and recommendations ............................................................................................... 14

A. Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 14

B. Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 14

* Circulated in the language of submission and English only.

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I. Introduction

1. The Special Rapporteur on the right to education conducted an official visit to Côte

d’Ivoire from 4 to 11 December 2017 at the invitation of the Ivorian Government.

2. During her visit, the Special Rapporteur met with a team from the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs. She held work sessions with Kandia Kamissoko Camara, the Minister of

National Education, Technical Education and Vocational Training; Ramata Ly-Bakayoko,

the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Mariatou Koné, the Minister for

Women, Child Protection and Solidarity; and Mamadou Touré, the Minister of State for

Technical Education and Vocational Training. She was also received by members of the

National Human Rights Commission and the presidents of Felix Houphouët-Boigny

University and Alassane Ouattara University. She met with representatives of the school

management committees’ coordinating body, the Fédération estudiantine et scolaire de Côte

d’Ivoire, many civil society organizations, teachers’ unions, and financial and technical

partners such as the Agence française de développement, the World Bank and organizations

that run development programmes and projects.

3. The Special Rapporteur was able to visit some preschools, primary schools and

secondary schools, including a local secondary school in Languibonou, as well as two

universities and an institute: Felix Houphouët-Boigny University, Alassane Ouattara

University and Felix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute in Yamoussoukro.

She met with their senior management teams, teachers and students. The Special

Rapporteur also met with members of the international community, including

representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United

Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). She

visited education centres in Abidjan, Yamoussoukro and Bouaké.

4. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank the Ivorian Government for its

invitation and its readiness to collaborate. She is also grateful to the whole UNDP team,

especially its Resident Representative, Babacar Cissé, for providing effective administrative

and logistical support, and to all those who took the time to share their experiences in the

field of education with her. She would like to thank the media for helping to publicize the

outcomes of her visit.

II. Overview

5. Between the eleventh and seventeenth centuries, Côte d’Ivoire was a land of

migration and asylum, welcoming various ethnic groups such as the Mandé (Dan, Gban and

Kwéni), Ligbi, Numu, Sénoufo, Malinké or Mandé-Dioula (Kamagaté, Keita, Binaté and

Diomandé), Efié, Essouma, Abouré, Alladian and Avikam groups. During the eighteenth

century, there was large-scale migration of Akan groups (Agni, Baoulé, Atié, Abbey,

Ébriés, M’Battos and Abidji) to the south-east and centre of the country and migration of

other Malinké groups from the south of present-day Mali and Burkina Faso.

6. The Portuguese explorers João de Santarém and Pedro Escobar stayed on the Ivorian

coast from 1470 to 1471. They were followed by Dutch explorers in the late sixteenth

century, then by French and English explorers in the seventeenth century. In 1893, Côte

d’Ivoire became a French colony and a member of French West Africa. The country

became an autonomous republic following a referendum in 1958, before gaining

independence in 1960.

7. Côte d’Ivoire is characterized by cultural wealth and diversity; it has 22.6 million

inhabitants, of whom 48 per cent are women, 77 per cent are young people (up to 35 years

old) and 5.5 million are foreign nationals, according to the 2014 census.1 It is home to

around sixty ethnic groups, in addition to the four major ones, namely the Akan, the

1 See http://www.ins.ci/n/documents/RGPH2014_expo_dg.pdf.

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Malinké, the Gour and the Krou. Overall, 42 per cent of the country’s inhabitants are

Muslim, 34 per cent are Christian, 4 per cent are animists, 19 per cent have no religion and

1 per cent are members of other religions. The official language is French, while the most

common African languages are Baoulé, Dioula, Dan, Anyin and Cebaara Senoufo.

8. With its strong economic assets, Côte d’Ivoire is seen as a subregional power. Some

of its infrastructure — such as the second largest port in sub-Saharan Africa, an extensive

road network and a recently expanded international airport — dates back to the two decades

known as “the Ivorian miracle” (1960–1980). As regards agriculture, the country is the

largest producer of cocoa in the world, with a market share of more than 35 per cent. It also

ranks among the main African producers of several other export crops, such as rubber,

cashew nuts, cotton, coffee, palm oil, bananas, pineapples and cola nuts.

9. The recent years of crisis had a negative impact on the poverty rate, which rose from

38.4 per cent in 2002 to 48.9 per cent in 2008. Poverty remains particularly widespread in

rural areas: the rural poverty rate is 62.5 per cent, compared with 29.5 per cent in urban

areas.

10. Since 2011, the country has enjoyed average annual growth of 9 per cent. In order to

achieve its aim of turning Côte d’Ivoire into an emerging country by 2020, the Government

adopted the 2016–2020 National Development Plan, which sets out structural measures that

are designed to generate continuous growth driven by the private sector. In May 2016, the

total funding pledged by financial backers, in the form of loans and donations, amounted to

US$ 15.4 billion.

11. Despite these favourable conditions and the efforts of the Ivorian authorities, which

have been unanimously praised by the international financial community, the country must

overcome many challenges, particularly when it comes to combating corruption and

improving the business environment, in order to fully regain its status as a driver of

regional economic growth. In addition, growth must be distributed more evenly if there is

to be a lasting improvement in development indicators.

12. The international community and the country’s development partners supported the

Government in its efforts to tackle the many challenges that arose following the post-

electoral crisis; this enabled the Government to re-establish the necessary State institutions.

III. Legal framework governing the right to education

A. International obligations of Côte d’Ivoire

13. Côte d’Ivoire is a party to most of the international instruments that deal with the

right to education, with the exception of the International Convention on the Protection of

the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

14. The Government has taken steps to better address its international human rights

obligations through national laws and policies.

15. In 1992, Côte d’Ivoire became a party to the International Covenant on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights, which establishes the right to education. It has also undertaken

to work towards the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 4, which consists of

ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning

opportunities for all. The Special Rapporteur commends the Government on its

commitment to pursuing these Goals, which is illustrated by their inclusion in the 2016–

2020 National Development Plan. She encourages the authorities to continue attaching the

utmost importance to Sustainable Development Goal 4, for education provides the

foundation for freedom and economic growth and helps to drive progress and sustainable

development.

16. Côte d’Ivoire has also made political commitments, together with the international

community, in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was

adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015. Target 4.1 of

Sustainable Development Goal 4 stipulates that, by 2030, Member States should ensure that

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all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education

leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. The Ivorian Government has stated its

political commitment to providing free, quality education for all in the amended Education

Act, the new Constitution of 2016 and the 2016–2020 National Development Plan.

B. The right to education and the national legal system

17. As regards the country’s institutional and legislative framework, articles 9 and 10 of

the 2016 Constitution explicitly establish the right of all individuals to education and

vocational training and the principle of compulsory education for all girls and boys.

Furthermore, article 32 of the Constitution affirms that the State undertakes to cater for the

specific needs of vulnerable persons and to ensure their access to health services, education,

employment, culture, sport and leisure activities.

18. Article 33 establishes that the State is responsible for protecting persons with

disabilities from all forms of discrimination and degrading treatment, including by enabling

them to exercise their rights with respect to education.

19. Act No. 2015-635 of 17 September 2015, amending Education Act No. 95-696 of 7

September 1995, establishes that education is compulsory for children aged between 6 and

16 years old; this reflects the country’s aim of ensuring that all children complete lower

secondary education in order to acquire the skills needed to be able to continue their studies

or find employment.

20. The principle of free public education is enshrined in article 2 of Education Act No.

95-696. Failure to comply with this Act, which has been in force since the beginning of the

2015/16 academic year, is punishable by a fine of up to 500,000 CFA francs (CFAF)

(around US$ 900) or 2 to 6 months’ imprisonment.

IV. The education system in Côte d’Ivoire

21. The education system in Côte d’Ivoire, as in other French-speaking West African

countries, is a legacy of French colonialism. It covers the following areas: preschool

education, primary education, lower and upper secondary education, technical education

and vocational training, and higher education. There are also literacy and non-formal

education centres for adolescents who have never attended school or who left school early

and for illiterate adults. Lessons are taught in French, although bilingual teaching in various

national languages has been tested in some places and clearly has potential.

22. Côte d’Ivoire has made considerable efforts in the field of education over the past

few years, with the aim of ensuring universal access to free, compulsory, quality primary

education. Overall, 84 per cent of students attend public schools, 14 per cent attend private

schools and 2 per cent attend schools run by the community. The Special Rapporteur is

pleased to note that the country has stepped up its efforts to improve access to education in

an inclusive manner by setting up pilot projects for the inclusion of vulnerable groups such

as children from poor families and children with disabilities. As a result, the percentage of

children of primary school age who are not enrolled in school has fallen significantly in

recent years, from 43.3 per cent in 2009 to 9 per cent in 2017.

A. Preschool, primary and secondary education

Preschool education

23. Preschool coverage in Côte d’Ivoire remains poor. In 2008, the net preschool

enrolment ratio stood at 13 per cent in urban areas and 1 per cent in rural areas. Moreover,

84 per cent of children enrolled in preschools lived in towns and 16 per cent in villages.

This limited growth in preschool education has been attributed to: (a) a lack of awareness of

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the importance of preschool education among some sectors of the population; (b)

inadequate preschool infrastructure in some areas of the country; and (c) the fact that two

ministries share the responsibility for preschool education.2

24. Recently, however, there has been a marked expansion in preschool education.

Between the academic years 2014/15 and 2016/17, the number of children enrolled in

preschools rose from 11,000 to 16,889, or by more than 53.5 per cent. There are 107

community activity centres for children and 88 centres for the protection of young children,

which promote the well-being and development of children up to the age of 5 years old.

25. The Government has stated that it intends to set up a total of 8,500 centres for the

protection of young children, each of which would be attached to a primary school. The

Special Rapporteur welcomes the measures and strategies that are being implemented by

both the Ministry for Women, Child Protection and Solidarity and the Ministry of National

Education, Technical Education and Vocational Training with a view to establishing a

preschool alongside each primary school. Thanks to the increase in the number of preschool

establishments, the number of learners has risen by more than 133 per cent over six years,

from 74,709 in 2010/11 to 174,264 in 2016/17.

Primary and secondary education

26. Act No. 2015-635 of 17 September 2015, amending Education Act No. 95-696 of 7

September 1995, establishes that education is compulsory for children aged between 6 and

16 years old.

27. However, overcrowding in primary schools means that they are unable to perform

well. During her visits to schools, the Special Rapporteur noted that class sizes ranged from

50 to 150 pupils in most public primary schools and in secondary schools. When she met

with representatives of civil society organizations, they raised concerns about the shortage

of teachers for subjects such as mathematics, English and French.

28. The rise in lower secondary school enrolment can be attributed to the increase in the

number of children who complete primary education, in combination with the increase in

the number of pupils who pass the primary school leaving examinations. In order to reduce

overcrowding in secondary schools and improve the quality of education in rural areas, the

Government has set up some small lower secondary schools, known as local secondary

schools, in rural areas. These schools provide the same education as ordinary secondary

schools, the only difference being that teachers are assigned to teach more than one subject.

They must be situated close to local communities so that pupils do not have to travel more

than 5 km to get to school. This allows children to remain with their families and gives

them a greater sense of security, which is particularly important for girls, many of whom

fall pregnant during adolescence and drop out of school as a result.

Faith schools

29. There are Catholic, Protestant and Qur’anic faith schools. During her mission, the

Special Rapporteur visited a Qur’anic school in Bouaké. She learned that many Qur’anic

schools had joined the formal education system so as to acquire State recognition, having

previously been left to their own devices. Schools that obtain such recognition, including

Qur’anic schools, are required to teach the national curriculum. This gives their students

access to a wider range of study options.

30. State recognition of these schools also implies a degree of State oversight. These

schools are partially funded by the State. Although Qur’anic schools are responsible for

recruiting and paying their teachers, the State is responsible for training those teachers in

order to ensure that national minimum quality standards are met. However, the Special

Rapporteur discovered during her visit to a Qur’anic school that only two of the seven

teachers working there had received such training.

2 See http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002298/229860F.pdf.

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31. Another concern raised by the management team of the Qur’anic school was that

some qualifications awarded in Arab countries were not recognized by the State. The fact

that persons seeking permission to run a school must submit an application in French also

poses a problem. In order to tackle this problem, the Special Rapporteur suggested

establishing links with universities with a view to setting up university departments that

cater for both academic and religious education.

32. The Special Rapporteur noted that there was a good gender balance in the lower

classes of the primary schools that she visited but that the balance shifted in the upper

classes, as the number of girls decreased. The Special Rapporteur encourages the

Government to continue implementing incentive measures to ensure that girls successfully

complete their education at the Qur’anic schools that are being modernized (209 schools,

out of 1,117 that applied).

B. Technical education and vocational training

33. In Côte d’Ivoire and in the subregion more generally, traditional apprenticeships are

one of the most common types of training undertaken by young people who have left

school. In many cases, however, such apprenticeships are lengthy and may not lead to the

acquisition of skills or a qualification. Steps are therefore being taken to improve the

quality of apprenticeships by setting up dual apprenticeship systems.3

34. The Youth Employment and Skills Development Project includes, among other

components, an apprenticeship programme, which is being implemented by the National

Agency for Vocational Training. Under this dual apprenticeship scheme, young persons

aged 18 to 24 years old are placed with companies for an apprenticeship that lasts between

one and two years. They are given practical in-house training, guidance from an

apprenticeship advisor and the opportunity to participate in theoretical training courses.

They also receive a monthly stipend of CFAF 30,000 and insurance coverage.

35. The Special Rapporteur notes with interest that one of the aims of the Government’s

2017–2020 Technical Education and Vocational Training Strategy is to raise the standard

of training centre facilities. As of 2020, technical education and vocational training will be

rolled out more widely. The Government also plans to set up training programmes for

instructors, with support from other States.

36. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes the importance of successful collaboration

between the ministries responsible for education and the various sectors of production, in

order to build bridges between primary education, secondary education, vocational training

and employment. Good coordination with the Ministry for Youth Development, Youth

Employment and Civic Service is also necessary.

37. The Special Rapporteur was informed that there are training and education

establishments for women. These were the first schools for women to be set up in Côte

d’Ivoire. They have been providing training for Ivorian women since 1958. Students at

these establishments can go on to complete vocational training. There are currently 118 of

these schools, with others being built around the country; they contribute to the

empowerment of women, although their courses increasingly cater for men as well. The

Government has expressed its intention to reform these institutes by modernizing them and

by setting up new courses in fields such as entrepreneurship.

C. Higher education

38. There are six public universities in Côte d’Ivoire. Each year, 500,000 students leave

secondary school and enter university; there are not enough places at public universities, so

3 Report on the short-term impacts of dual apprenticeships on young people and businesses: assessment

of the apprenticeship component of the Youth Employment and Skills Development Project, Côte

d’Ivoire, 25 July 2017.

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some students are encouraged to attend private universities. According to the information

received, it is often very expensive to attend such universities, which means that they are

inaccessible to many students with severely limited resources. In order to tackle this

problem, the Government is working to decentralize higher education by opening

universities in all regions. New universities in San Pedro and Bondoukou should be

operational by 2020.

39. The Special Rapporteur also noted with interest the establishment, in December

2015, of the Virtual University of Côte d’Ivoire, which is exclusively dedicated to online

and distance learning. She noted that, according to the Government, the initial problems

encountered by users of the Virtual University were being resolved.

40. The Government has established a system of bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees

and doctorates with the aim of meeting international standards, improving the quality of

higher education and increasing the employability of university graduates. The Special

Rapporteur received reports that the new system is poorly understood by students and

teachers alike. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research allocates 5.1 per

cent of its budget to research and innovation; the remaining 94.9 per cent is spent on other

programmes. Côte d’Ivoire currently spends less than 0.4 per cent of its gross domestic

product on research and development, compared with the African Union Agenda 2063

recommendation of 1 per cent.

D. Community participation: school management committees

41. The Special Rapporteur noted that the State has set up participatory bodies known as

school management committees in primary and secondary schools, in order to ensure that

communities are closely involved in managing the education system. These independent

bodies have executive boards, which are made up of 11 or 12 members: 6 parents of

students, 2 teachers, 1 bursar, 2 students and, at secondary school level, 1 inspector general.

42. School management committees are responsible for helping to maintain the

buildings and facilities; helping to provide civic and moral education; fostering links

between the school and the local community; supporting the socio-educational and learning

activities run by the school; and helping to deal with the lack of teachers and instructors.

They are also tasked with monitoring textbook management; helping to educate the

students, especially girls; promoting the school canteen; and collecting and managing all of

the school’s financial resources, aside from the funding provided by the State.

43. Each school management committee consists of four bodies: the general assembly,

which is the committee’s decision-making body; the executive board, which is responsible

for administration and management; the auditor’s office, which is a monitoring body; and

the subsidiary assemblies. The general assembly is composed of the mayor or the president

of the regional council; the head teacher of the school and, where appropriate, the head

teachers of the other schools in the school complex; the members of the executive board;

two student representatives; one teacher from each class or level; parents of students; and

other community representatives.

44. It has been noted, however, that school management committees do not always

operate smoothly; problems include poor management of financial resources and poor

communication, resulting in a failure to involve members in strategic decision-making.

There are over 8,000 such committees, of which 3,000 receive State funding. The Special

Rapporteur emphasized the need to provide these committees with greater technical and

financial support and to improve their planning and management, for they are the backbone

of the basic education system.

V. The four As of the right to education

45. In order to implement the right to education, it is necessary to develop available,

accessible, acceptable and adaptable programmes. Availability means that education must

be free and financed by the Government, with appropriate infrastructure and trained

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teachers who meet the relevant teaching requirements. Accessibility means that the system

must be accessible to all, without geographical, economic, social or cultural discrimination,

and affirmative action must be taken to include groups that are particularly marginalized.

Acceptability means that the content of education must be relevant, non-discriminatory,

culturally appropriate and of good quality; the school environment must be healthy and safe

and the teachers must be professionals. Adaptability means that education must evolve with

the changing needs of society and help to challenge inequalities, especially gender

discrimination, and it must be able to be adapted locally to suit specific contexts.

A. Availability

46. With regard to funding, as previous Special Rapporteurs have pointed out,

investment in education is a human rights obligation that States must fulfil. The Ivorian

Government has approved a 10-year plan for the education and training sector for 2016–

2025, at an estimated cost of CFAF 5,246 billion for the period 2017–2020, with the aim of

providing inclusive, quality basic education for all. An additional sum of CFAF 19.1 billion

has been set aside for measures to increase the enrolment rate among girls. In 2017, a total

of CFAF 908 million was allocated to the literacy programme.

47. In principle, for the right to education to be effectively implemented, public

education should be free, without any costs that might act as a barrier. The Education Act

provides that public school education should be free and available to all; however, some

costs, such as enrolment fees, social services and the cost of textbooks and other school

supplies, are not covered. These exceptions mean that low-income families are likely to

come into conflict with the law, because they do not have the financial means necessary to

cover the compulsory extra costs of their children’s education. Moreover, according to the

information received, in rural areas particularly, communities must sometimes contribute to

the remuneration of voluntary teachers through subsidies paid to the school management

committee, which has led UNESCO to conclude that households cover between 30 and 37

per cent of the costs of education.

Primary education

48. Universal primary education, which has been identified as Sustainable Development

Goal 4 and a goal of the African Union, is also a key goal of the Ivorian Government. With

the support of international bodies and local stakeholders, the Government has launched a

series of initiatives relating to the renovation and construction of school infrastructure, the

training and recruitment of teachers and the purchase of teaching materials and equipment.

Secondary education

49. The number of secondary schools has risen slightly over the past five years. The

Special Rapporteur is pleased to note that the Government allocated a budget of CFAF 333

billion to the development of secondary education in the 2016–2020 National Development

Plan. This investment will be used, in particular, for the renovation, construction and

equipment of school buildings and the recruitment of staff.

Teacher training

50. As in many countries, the lack of qualified teachers is a challenge for the authorities;

this problem concerns all levels of the education system, including higher education. It can

also be noted that the geographical distribution of teaching staff at both primary and

secondary level is very uneven, with a high concentration of teachers in major cities.

Around 30 specialized schools help to provide training for teaching and educational support

staff, under the responsibility of the relevant ministries. The Special Rapporteur

recommends working hand in hand with universities to resolve the practical problems that

arise when dealing with large class sizes and to promote a teaching method that focuses on

the learner and on cultural values. She also recommends taking steps to increase the

prestige of the teaching profession in order to motivate teachers to perform well.

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10 GE.18-06824

51. The Special Rapporteur noted that most primary schoolteachers were considered

qualified in Côte d’Ivoire, yet the minimum qualification required by the Government was

the certificate of completion of the first stage of secondary education.

52. The country’s efforts to improve the quality of teacher training establishments have

been supported by several partners, with a particular focus on information and

communications technology.

B. Accessibility

53. The information gathered during the Special Rapporteur’s visit shows that access to

primary education is uneven, with major disparities between urban and rural areas and

particularly poor coverage in the north and north-east of the country.

54. Each year, once the results of the primary school leaving examination have been

announced, the National Commission on Study Options holds a conference, during which

the vast majority of primary school leavers are assigned to secondary schools; however,

public secondary schools cannot cater for such a large number of pupils. The Government

turns to the private sector to deal with this lack of capacity, at a cost of around CFAF 80

billion per year. Private education sometimes entails additional costs for students, ranging

from CFAF 30,000 to CFAF 200,000.

55. Although progress has been made in terms of access to education, the Special

Rapporteur strongly recommends that the Government take steps to improve the quality of

the education system. The last assessment carried out under the Education System Analysis

Programme of the Conférence des Ministres de l’éducation des États et gouvernements de

la Francophonie in 2014 showed that 47 per cent of pupils in the second year of primary

school and 82 per cent of students in the final year of primary school had not reached an

adequate level in reading and mathematics. The next assessment will be carried out in 2019.

56. Act No. 98-594 of 10 November 1998 concerns persons with disabilities. Article 2

of the Act establishes that persons with disabilities have the right to education on an equal

basis with others. Article 13 of the Act states that all school, university and training

facilities must be accessible to persons with disabilities. However, access for children with

disabilities to schools and vocational training facilities remains limited. Furthermore, staff

lack the necessary technical skills to support children with specific needs, including

children with disabilities.

C. Acceptability

Secondary school success rates

57. In 2017, the rate of success in the examinations at the end of the first and second

stages of secondary education was, in both cases, under 50 per cent. The Special

Rapporteur commends the Ivorian Government for planning measures that are designed to

raise these rates to at least 80 per cent. Statistics show that the rates of completion of lower

secondary and upper secondary education rose by 9 per cent and 3.3 per cent respectively

between 2011 and 2016.

Vocational training

58. The Government acknowledges that there are so few links between the education

system and the world of work that vocational training courses do not correspond to

employers’ needs. The higher education system is so inflexible that training courses in

fields with limited job prospects continue to be taught without any major adaptations.

Similarly, research is conducted without taking into account the needs of the production

sector.

59. The strategy for 2017–2020 includes plans to overhaul and update the system,

renovate existing facilities and build new ones. The Government is working with several

partners, including the Agence française de développement, the World Bank, UNICEF,

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GE.18-06824 11

UNESCO, Japan, Morocco, Canada and China, to implement pilot projects that involve the

private sector and local communities, in order to increase the relevance and effectiveness of

vocational training. The idea is to roll out similar projects more widely, building on the

lessons learned during this first stage.

D. Adaptability

60. Although some progress has been made, equal access to education for girls has not

yet been achieved. Parents continue to prioritize boys’ education over girls’ education,

especially in rural areas. Furthermore, the sanitary facilities in many schools are not

appropriate for girls and there is a high rate of adolescent pregnancy. The steps taken by the

Ivorian Government have helped to significantly reduce this rate in some places but further

efforts must be made to improve monitoring, prevention and response measures. It should

also be noted that the 2016–2020 National Development Plan includes policies that are

intended to reduce the number of adolescent pregnancies.

61. The Special Rapporteur commends the Government for adopting a strategic plan to

promote girls’ education, which sets out measures to tackle pregnancy in schools, including

a campaign entitled “Zero Pregnancies at School” and community mobilization.

62. According to the Ivorian press, however, there were around 4,471 pregnancies in

general secondary schools in Côte d’Ivoire in 2016/17, compared with 4,054 in 2015/16.4

63. In 2007, the Government set up monitoring committees to increase the number of

girls who enrol and remain in school and mobilized communities to take action, for

example through clubs for mothers of girl pupils. These clubs are involved in major

projects, such as the establishment of permanent school canteens, and are increasingly

focused on turning school management committees into an essential tool. Activities carried

out by these clubs include helping parents to apply for birth certificates, raising girls’ and

boys’ awareness of forced marriage and adolescent pregnancy, helping girls to gain access

to transitional classes and helping parents to enrol their children in school.

VI. Key issues concerning the education system

64. The main challenges in the field of education relate to access to education, quality of

education and governance of the education system.

65. Considerable efforts are being made to raise the quality of education, through the

reinstatement of lessons on Wednesday mornings; vocational training for teachers; the

development of an education and literacy strategy aimed at adolescents and adults,

especially women; and the provision of quality teaching materials.

A. Inclusive education

66. According to data from 2008, poverty affects 48.9 per cent of the Ivorian population

and is concentrated in rural areas. Bearing in mind that education-related costs account for

30 to 37 per cent of household spending and that secondary and higher education costs are

rising each year, how can poor families afford to cover the basic cost of education?

67. The Special Rapporteur recommends continuing to provide free textbooks and

school supplies to vulnerable sectors of the population in rural areas in order to turn Côte

d’Ivoire into an inclusive, emerging country.

68. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the considerable efforts made to involve local

communities in education through the school management committees, which serve as

permanent bodies for education planning and management, as well as the measures taken to

provide free teaching materials. School management committees are able to identify

4 See http://news.abidjan.net/h/613225.html.

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12 GE.18-06824

children at risk of not being enrolled in school for financial reasons and children with

specific needs, and to help them gain access to education facilities that are appropriate for

their situation. The Special Rapporteur visited inclusive primary and secondary schools

where children with visual or hearing impairments were integrated into mainstream classes.

The primary school that she visited seemed to have taken on board the concept of

inclusiveness and all class teachers were able to communicate using sign language; in the

secondary school that she visited, however, only one teacher was competent in sign

language. Children with hearing impairments in inclusive schools of that kind are at an

immediate disadvantage compared to other learners. If no sign language interpreting is

available, these children have to make do with using their classmates’ notes to understand

what the teacher is trying to teach them. In such situations, the child’s learning is dependent

on their classmate’s understanding of the lesson. Measures should be taken to support

children with disabilities by training teachers at the Teacher Training and Activity Centre

and the Teacher Training College.

B. Child and adult literacy

69. A large number of literacy centres have been set up in Côte d’Ivoire; these centres

are primarily aimed at illiterate women, for example women who sell their products at

markets. It should be noted that these centres are open to anyone wishing to learn.

70. In October 2017, the Government announced that the illiteracy rate in Côte d’Ivoire

was 43.8 per cent. It hopes to reduce this figure to 20 per cent by 2020. Information

gathered in the field shows that the Government has launched initiatives to enable

adolescents and adults who are no longer of school age, especially women, to gain access to

education through transitional schools and literacy centres. The Special Rapporteur

recommends that the Government work with communal authorities and school management

committees to set up a decentralized, independently managed fund to support literacy

activities throughout the country. The Special Rapporteur encourages the Government to

invest at least 3 per cent of the budget in non-formal education and in improving literacy

rates among adolescents and adults, as they are the workers who have the potential to make

Côte d’Ivoire an emerging country.

C. Students’ academic performance

71. The Ivorian school system has been severely affected by years of instability. A

survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics5 revealed that almost one in two

children aged between 6 and 11 years old did not attend school; there was a difference in

enrolment rates for boys and girls (59 per cent and 51 per cent, respectively) and a

significant disparity between urban and rural areas (66 per cent and 48 per cent,

respectively).6

72. According to UNICEF, the low enrolment rate was essentially due to the inadequacy

of the education system: there were not enough teachers or school buildings. Children who

attended school did not always receive a quality education and were therefore unlikely to

reach the fifth year of primary school (52 per cent). The poor quality of education also

affected parents’ motivation to send their children to school.7

73. Since then, the situation has improved. The Government has carried out various

reforms to improve the performance of primary, secondary and higher education

establishments, including technical schools. It has also allocated more budgetary resources

to the education sector.

5 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2006 (MICS 2006), National Institute of Statistics and UNICEF.

6 See https://www.unicef.org/cotedivoire/education.html.

7 Ibid.

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GE.18-06824 13

74. In May 2017, the Ivorian Government published the latest statistics, for the period

2012–2017.8 These show that the gross primary enrolment ratio, which is based on the total

school-age population, has risen to 104.6 per cent, compared with 89 per cent in 2011. The

net enrolment ratio, which concerns only children aged between 6 and 11 years old, is 91

per cent.

75. These statistics also show that the primary school completion rate rose from 59.1 to

75 per cent between 2012 and 2016, and from 52 to 71.6 per cent for girls. The rates of

completion of lower and upper secondary education rose by 9 per cent and 3.3 per cent,

respectively, between 2011 and 2016. The percentage of girls who reach the fourth year of

secondary education rose from 30 to 42 per cent.

76. The Government has taken measures to increase the overall proportion of girls who

enrol in school, remain in education and succeed in their studies. Some progress has been

made towards reducing the gender gap in primary and secondary school enrolment.

D. Measures to promote technical education and vocational training

77. Côte d’Ivoire has adopted a strategic action plan for 2017–2020 to raise the standard

of vocational training. Under this plan, the range of courses available will be expanded and

course curricula will be progressively revised, in close collaboration with the private sector.

78. The Special Rapporteur was informed that the Government planned to build,

renovate and better equip vocational training facilities, in an effort to increase access to and

improve the quality of technical education and vocational training in Côte d’Ivoire. Three

centres that have fallen into disrepair will be renovated and new centres will be built, taking

into account local economic capacities.

79. In order to improve the governance of vocational training facilities, eight

establishments will be set up as part of a pilot project involving the private sector, with the

aim of reducing youth unemployment by promoting technical education and vocational

training. The Government has expressed its intention to invest heavily in this area as of

2020 and to create an environment in which more children choose to undertake vocational

training. The aim of this initiative is to increase the vocational training rate from 14 per cent

in 2017 to 50 per cent in 2050. The Government is also keen to help trainees to find

employment. In order to achieve this, these young people must pursue a course that offers

access to the labour market. The courses taught in the schools that are part of the pilot

project will be more practical than theoretical. There are plans to set up a training course

that leads to a qualification for children who are unable to attend school, children who have

been excluded from school and people without qualifications. This course will be taught in

mobile classrooms over a period of six months.

80. The Minister of State reported that the Government is trying to change the image of

vocational training and encourage students to pursue it by choice, the aim being to ensuring

access to the labour market for as many young people as possible.

81. During her visits to technical schools, the Special Rapporteur noted that the

infrastructure was adequate but the equipment used in lessons was in a bad state. In

addition, there is not enough collaboration with the industrial and informal sectors and

many of the students who graduate from technical schools are reportedly unable to find

paid work.

E. Innovation and good practices in the Ivorian education system

82. The Ministry of National Education, Technical Education and Vocational Training

has drawn up fact sheets on innovation and good practices in the Ivorian education system.

8 See http://news.abidjan.net/h/616059.html.

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14 GE.18-06824

83. According to the information received by the Special Rapporteur, these innovative

measures and good practices include the following:

(a) Education for peace;

(b) The education policy and the legal framework;

(c) Community involvement in managing the education system;

(d) Education in rural areas: local secondary schools and school canteens;

(e) The use of national languages in education;

(f) The national strategy on girls’ education;

(g) Inclusive education: the inclusion of children with hearing and visual

impairments in the formal system, from preschool through to secondary education;

(h) The testing of information and communications technology at all levels, from

primary schools through to universities.

VII. Conclusions and recommendations

A. Conclusions

84. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the efforts made by the Ivorian Government

to realize the right to education, both in terms of the funding allocated to basic

education (over 20 per cent of the national budget) and with respect to legislation and

school infrastructure.

85. The establishment of the principle of free, compulsory primary education

through the adoption of the amended Education Act in 2015 and the new Constitution

in 2016 represents an important first step towards basic education that is completely

free of charge and accessible to all.

86. The Government has taken some very positive steps regarding the access of

girls and vulnerable groups to education; the rehabilitation of school infrastructure;

the establishment of local secondary schools; and the launch of the Virtual University.

The Special Rapporteur recognizes the important work of civil society with regard to

innovation and the action taken by communities to promote the right to education of

vulnerable groups around the country.

87. The Special Rapporteur observed that the country was facing challenges in its

mission to improve the accessibility and quality of basic education. These challenges

included illiteracy, governance and quality of learning.

88. The years between now and 2030 represent a major opportunity for Côte

d’Ivoire to pursue the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 4.

89. In the light of the above and in accordance with the conclusions drawn from the

mission, the Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations with a view to

helping to improve the education system in Côte d’Ivoire.

B. Recommendations

Legal framework

90. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Ivorian Government consider

progressively implementing Act No. 2015-635 of 17 September 2015, amending

Education Act No. 95-696 of 7 September 1995, especially its mandatory component,

until the State is able to fulfil its obligations in terms of access to education,

availability of teachers, school supplies and so on.

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GE.18-06824 15

91. The Special Rapporteur encourages the Ivorian Government to disseminate

clear information on the content of the current Education Act and on its education

policy, so as to ensure the effective implementation of the Act.

92. Côte d’Ivoire is also encouraged to ratify the International Convention on the

Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families with

a view to implementing the articles on the right to education contained therein.

Strengthening the teaching profession and improving the quality of the education

system

93. To ensure quality teaching, it is important to continue providing incentives for

teachers in both the public and private sectors and to recruit teachers for basic

education who have obtained an upper secondary leaving certificate at least. In

addition to the capacity-building programme for teachers, a follow-up, evaluation and

skills development component delivered by senior teaching staff should be available

and operational, where necessary. The Special Rapporteur encourages the

Government to provide additional teachers in disciplines such as mathematics, French

and English.

94. The Government is also encouraged to use information and communications

technology to develop specific capacity-building programmes for teachers and literacy

facilitators.

95. The Government should ensure that teachers in Catholic, Protestant and

Qur’anic schools receive the training they need to be able to fulfil their commitment of

providing quality education to students.

96. The Government should develop a special programme for the training and

local supervision of volunteer teachers and literacy facilitators.

97. To improve the quality of primary and secondary education, the Government

should continue revising the curricula of teacher training colleges to take into account

the challenges of providing sustainable, inclusive, quality education with due regard

for specific cultural and environmental factors.

98. With respect to higher education, the system of bachelor’s degrees, master’s

degrees and doctorates needs to be contextualized and adapted to the situation in the

country, so as to increase students’ academic success and their employability following

graduation.

99. The Special Rapporteur recommends that Côte d’Ivoire take measures to

regulate the private sector in accordance with the principles of the right to education.

The opportunity offered to Côte d’Ivoire by a civil society coalition to trial the use of

human rights guidelines for private education providers is promising for the fight

against the commercialization of education.

100. Côte d’Ivoire is encouraged to define and implement a strong, insightful and

coherent strategy for drug control in schools, along the same lines as the “Zero

Pregnancies at School” campaign.

The role of parents and the community

101. Education is not only the Government’s responsibility; it is also a matter of

social responsibility. Parents, teachers and communities have an important role to

play in school management and the governance of education at the local level. The

Government is encouraged to increase its efforts to include parents as key actors for

improving education. Channels should be available for parents to report problems to

the relevant authorities. Having established school management committees that serve

as an entry point for the involvement of the community and parents in education, the

Government has a duty to lend its support, including financial support, to those

committees so that responsibilities may be shared. It would be useful to assess the

governance of these committees on an annual basis in order to see what lessons can be

learned and to capitalize on their achievements.

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16 GE.18-06824

102. The activities of the clubs for mothers of girl pupils must also be encouraged,

supported financially and leveraged as part of an overall process in order to enable

them to carry out their work to improve student performance and access to education,

especially for girls.

Improving technical education and vocational training

103. The perception of some teachers, students and parents that technical education

and vocational training are a last resort should be altered. Technical education and

vocational training should be made more attractive and should be viewed by the

professional world as a system that produces the skilled workers that the Ivorian

economy needs. Technical training institutions should not be treated as separate

establishments but rather as an integral part of the youth education system in Côte

d’Ivoire.

104. Technical education and vocational training should be promoted through

awareness-raising for parents, children and the community. Interest in technical and

vocational training in Côte d’Ivoire must be encouraged from primary school onward.

The Special Rapporteur also recommends that a partnership be established with

careers guidance services and universities to draw attention to the opportunities that

may be offered by professional training and to encourage support for secondary and

primary school leavers who would like to follow this path. The trend towards general

education should be reversed in favour of education that is more technical and

vocational in nature.

105. Recognizing that those leaving the technical and vocational education system

have a major impact on the country’s economic development, the Government should

increase funding to secondary and post-secondary technical and vocational education

establishments. The Special Rapporteur encourages the Government to continue

exploring a wide range of funding mechanisms for this sector with private partners

and States, in collaboration with universities in particular.

106. Stronger partnerships with industries are needed to ensure that graduates have

the necessary skills to find work following graduation. There is also a need to organize

action-oriented research and innovation for the sustainable development of these

industries.

107. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government ensure coherence

between the training system and the strategies and measures implemented by the

ministries responsible for education, training and scientific research. In this regard,

the establishment of a sectoral task force is strongly encouraged.

108. The ministries responsible for primary and secondary education and vocational

training and the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection must work together

effectively to ensure that young people who choose this path are able to enter the

labour market.

Funding for education

109. The Government is to be commended for having devoted more than 20 per cent

of its budget to basic education. This demonstrates a real commitment to improving

the accessibility and quality of education. Nevertheless, the Special Rapporteur

recommends that the Government also increase the budget for vocational training and

job creation for young people and women, as well as the budget for preschool

education and literacy.

110. Given that more than 40 per cent of the country’s population is illiterate, the

majority women and girls, it would be advisable to set up a decentralized, autonomous

fund to support literacy activities throughout national territory in order to ensure

adequate funding for the construction of decent premises, the provision of suitable

teaching material, and the salaries of facilitators and supervisors working in literacy

and non-formal education centres.

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GE.18-06824 17

The key role of Côte d’Ivoire in promoting the right to education in the West African

subregion

111. The Special Rapporteur strongly encourages the Ivorian Government to

continue investing in ensuring equal access to inclusive and equitable quality

education for all. She also encourages the Government to continue implementing the

necessary measures and policies to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the system

as a whole.

112. Côte d’Ivoire could serve as a model for other countries in the West African

subregion, especially with regard to legislation, the decision to treat basic education as

a budget priority and ongoing educational innovation.

113. The country is also encouraged to continue experimenting with inclusive

education centres, and to circulate the results to the member countries of the

Fondation Karanta; 9 it is important to share the relevant results regarding

transitional schools with other countries in the subregion that are struggling to reach

the most disadvantaged people.

114. The Special Rapporteur encourages Côte d’Ivoire to take a leadership role and

call for the Economic Community of West African States to give further consideration

to harmonizing education qualifications with the UNESCO concept of basic education

adopted by those countries, which requires at least 10 years of education. Côte

d’Ivoire is encouraged to question whether the Certificate of Elementary Primary

Studies is an appropriate first-level qualification in today’s world and to bear in mind

the aims set out in the Incheon Declaration: Education 2030: Towards inclusive and

equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all.

International partnerships and community cooperation

115. International partners clearly support the Ivorian Government and should be

encouraged to increase their contribution and strengthen political dialogue on the

challenges of governance and quality.

116. Ultimately, widespread mobilization of all members of Ivorian society with

respect to education is needed in order to give effect to the political will expressed by

the Government.

9 A subregional mechanism established on 15 December 2000 to support non-formal education

policies.