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Education in Comoros

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Just like every other country in the world, the Union of Comoros takes education matters very seriously. The country’s government recognizes education as playing a very decisive and significant role in the political, social and economic development of Comoros. As a result, the government has made a lot of progress so as to make the education system h3er and to offer all children access to quality education.

It is important to note that Comoros’ education system of primary and secondary schools was established by France. This system was founded on the French model and it is still used up to date. As per Comorian law, all children are required to finish eight years of learning between the ages of seven and fifteen. Under the education system, primary education takes six years to complete, and this is for students of ages six to twelve. The students are then supposed to go through seven years of secondary school.

There are two types of schools in the country. One is the state run school system founded on the French model, and the other is the traditional Islamic school system.

Nazaki school in Moroni, Source

Islamic school system in Comoros

The majority of the Comorians are Sunni Muslims and they practice the Sunni faith. Because of their faith, Quranic schools have been established across the country and all children are expected to attend for at least two or three years. At these schools, children get to learn the tenets of the Islamic faith and some Arabic. Because of financial issues and poverty, most families prefer to enroll their children in these schools, so that they can at least acquire an Islamic education at no cost. When children from rural areas enroll to these schools, they at times move away from their home and assist their teachers work their land.

Primary education in Comoros

As mentioned earlier, primary education is mandatory for all children until the age of 14. It is, however, important to note that the government does not impose the attendance. Boys are also given preference compared to girls. The formal entry age for primary education is six years and it takes a duration of six grades to complete. At the end of the sixth grade, students sit for the Diplôme de Fin d Études Élémentaires (DFEE) before proceeding to secondary school.

Secondary school in Comoros

Secondary school is divided into two levels. The first is the lower level made up grade seven to ten. The other is upper level made up of grades eleven to thirteen. Lower secondary education is called “college” while upper education is called “lycée.” At the end of grade ten, students sit for the Brevet d études de Premier Cycle (BEPC) and the Baccalauréat at the end of grade thirteen.

Higher education in Comoros

There is only one university in the country that offers higher learning. The university is located in the capital city of Moroni. Most students, however, prefer to pursue higher education abroad. This has in a large part led to “brain drain” since very few university graduates are open to going back to the islands.

There is also an option for post-secondary education that students can apply for. This is mainly in the form of business, health sciences, agricultural education training, and teacher training. These and other specialized courses are offered as the M'Vouni School for Higher Education which has been up and running since 1981.

A few local teachers often study abroad. This is so because the country cannot offer the instructors all the training they need. Some global aid has, however, been given to facilitate training of teachers in the islands. An example of this was in 1987 when the International Development Association (IDA) gave credits of US$ 7.9 million to educate 3,000 primary and 350 secondary school teachers. A year earlier in 1986, the government started opening technology training centers where they offered a three-year diploma program at the upper secondary school level.

Itsambouni school building in Moroni, Source

Challenges in the education system

Despite all the available options for learning, the rate of enrollment in the schools has been on a decline. Schools and students have been affected by the political instability in the country and unrest from students’ protests and teachers’ strikes. Teachers’ strikes are as a result of poor pay and reduction of the workforce in the civil service due to pressure for fiscal reforms from the international community. Students’ strikes, on the other hand, have been brought about by canceled examinations or classes. Students also protest violently against underfunding by the government and poor management of the schools. Such scenarios often lead to high rates of dropouts and repetition, resulting in a student taking fourteen years to finish the six years of primary education.

As mentioned above, dropout rates are very high. Students that advance to secondary school make up only 35%. It is worth noting that enrollment in primary schools has been on the rise, but the transition to secondary schools is only about 60%. Another thing to note is that most locals obtain on average 2.85 years of learning. This translates to an adult literacy rate of approximately 75%.

Reforms in the education sector in Comoros

The education system in the country has faced quite a number of challenges and constraints. To deal with these, the Education Sector Support Program in Comoros (PASEC) was enforced. This took place during the 2005-2010 period in association with the European Union and some of the results of the program can now be seen. These results include remodeling and refurnishing of roughly 320 primary and secondary schools. Training has also been offered to teachers, schools directors, and education inspectors. An approximate figure of $16.5 million was used by PASEC to aid the country in attaining the Millennium Development Goals. Because of this assistance, accessibility of primary education has risen by 6% in a period of seven years. The gap between the enrollment of boys and girls has also been decreasing steadily.

Despite all these reforms, is it worth noting that there is still a lack of facilities, teachers who are qualified, learning equipment, textbooks and many other resources. Teachers are also not paid very well and their salaries are often so far in arrears and as a result, most of them refuse to work.