Cote d'Ivoire: Education Country Brief

January 2024
Cote d'Ivoire flag
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Background

This brief provides data and references to the literature on issues that matter for education in Cote d'lvoire. It is part of a series that provides a brief introduction to the state of education systems in Africa. The work was prepared for country pages on IICBA’s website and a digital repository of resources at the country, sub-regional, and continental level. The brief series also informs work conducted in the context of (i) the European Union’s Africa Regional Teachers’ Initiative and (ii) the KIX (Knowledge and Innovation eXchange) Africa 19 Hub for anglophone countries that promotes the use of evidence for policy making and benefits from funding from the Global Partnership for Education and Canada’s International Development Research Center. This brief and its associated webpage are meant to be updated as new information becomes available, at least on a yearly basis. 

Key resources: This brief provides the following resources: 

  • Educational outcomes: Estimates are provided for learning poverty (the share of 10-year-old children not able to read and understand a simple text), educational attainment and/or enrollment rates at various levels of education, the components of the human capital index, and human capital wealth as a share of national wealth. 
  • Selected literature: Links are provided to selected publications at the global, regional, and country levels with a focus on six themes: (i) learning assessment systems; (ii) early childhood education; (iii) teaching and learning; (iv) the data challenge; (v) gender equality; and (vi) equity and inclusion. 
  • Country policies: Links are provided to key institutions (including Ministries) managing the education system, selected policy and planning documents, and websites that aim to provide comparative data on policies across countries.
  • Knowledge repositories and other resources: Links are provided to a dozen digital repositories that collate publications and resources on education issues in Africa. 

Data: Links are provided to data sources that can help inform education policy.

This country brief provides a brief introduction to selected issues and research relevant to Cote d'lvoire’s education system and links to resources that may be useful to official of Ministries of Education and other education stakeholders. A special focus is placed on thematic areas from the KIX (Knowledge and Innovation eXchange) initiative for which UNESCO IICBA manages the Secretariat of the Africa KIX 19 Hub. Together with the associated webpages on UNESCO IICBA’s website, the brief is to be updated as new information becomes available, typically every year. The brief starts with a review of basic data on educational outcomes including learning poverty, educational attainment, and the human capital index. The focus then shifts to information related to the thematic areas of focus of the KIX Africa 19 Hub, namely: (i) learning assessment (ii) early childhood education; (iii) teaching & learning (iv) data challenge; (v) gender equality; and (vi) equity and inclusion. The brief also includes links to country documents and processes as well as a range of other resources and websites. 

Cote d'lvoire as many other African countries is facing a learning crisis. Learning poverty, the share of children not able to read and understand an age-appropriate text by age 10, is estimated by the World Bank, UNESCO, and other organizations at  83 percent (see Table 1 for selected statistics) This is in part because out-of-school children are unlikely to achieve reading proficiency. But it mostly results from the fact that 95 percent of children enrolled in primary school could be learning poor. It is imperative to improve the quality of the education provided in schools.

Educational Outcomes and Human Capital

Schooling does not imply learning, but lack of learning increases the likelihood of dropping out of school. Learning poverty is one of the factors contributing to low educational attainment. According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS data), the primary school completion rate was at 68 percent in 2022 for girls and 69 percent for boys. However, the completion rates for lower secondary education reveal a drop-off, with 55.5 percent of girls and 60.2 percent of boys. Gross enrollment rates for secondary education indicate a gender gap, with 52 percent of females enrolling compared to 58 percent of males. Low educational attainment especially for girls is due in part tom relatively high levels of child marriage and early childbearing. Gross enrollment in tertiary education was at 9 percent for women in 2020 versus 11 percent for men. 

Another useful statistic is the Human Capital Index for Côte d’Ivoire based on six variables: (i) the probability that a child will survive past age five (92 percent); (ii) the years of schooling that a child is expected to complete by age 18 (8.1 years); (iii) the level of learning that a child is expected to acquire (327); (iv) the learning-adjusted years of schooling that a child is expected to complete, a measure combining the two previous measures (4.8 years); (v) the adult survival rate (66 percent of 15-year olds surviving until age 60); and finally (vi) the probability that a child will not be stunted in early childhood (78 percent). Based on those six variables, the expected productivity in adulthood of a child is estimated in comparison to full productivity that could be expected with full education and health. The estimate is that a child born in Cote d’Ivoire today will reach only 38 percent of his/her potential. This is lower than the average for Sub-Saharan Africa region and Lower middle-income countries.

One last statistic may help make the case for the importance of investing in education for the country’s development. A country’s wealth mainly consists of three types of capital: (1) Produced capital comes from investments in assets such as factories, equipment, or infrastructure; (2) Natural capital consists of assets such as agricultural land and both renewable and nonrenewable natural resources; (3) Human capital is measured as the present value of the future earnings of the labor force, which in turn depends on the level of educational attainment of the labor force. The latest estimates from the World Bank suggest that human capital wealth in Cote d’Ivoire accounts for 57 percent of national wealth.

Table 1 Cote d'Ivoire
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Selected Literature

Supporting countries in using evidence for policymaking is an objective shared by many organizations and initiatives. Under the KIX initiative for which UNESCO IICBA manages the KIX Africa 19 Hub and collaborates with KIX Africa 21, the focus is on six themes: (i) learning assessment systems (ii) early childhood education; (iii) teaching and learning (iv) the data challenge; (v) gender equality; and (vi) equity and inclusion. For each topic, a link is provided to the GPE-KIX Discussion paper written at the start of the initiative in 2019 and additional publications that could be useful for policy. By necessity, to keep this brief short, only a few resources can be mentioned, but additional resources can be accessed through digital repositories listed below. A brief note on UNESCO IICBA research is also provided.

Learning Assessment Systems [GPE-KIX Discussion Paper]. Learning assessment tools and systems are essential to gauge and improve learning outcomes for students. A primer on large scale assessments from the World Bank provides guidance on such assessments, as does a review of learning assessments in Africa from UNESCO IIEP. Among regional assessments, PASEC (Programme for the Analysis of Education Systems) for francophone countries in West and Central Arica and SEACMEQ (Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality) for anglophone countries in East and Southern Africa are the best known. These instruments target primary schools. Also interesting is PISA for development which is being piloted in secondary schools in a few African countries. Côte d’Ivoire actively participates in regional assessments such as PASEC and TIMSS. The Ministry of National Education and Literacy (MENA) presents the general framework of assessments and the evaluation structure within the country.

Improving Teaching and Learning [GPE-KIX Discussion Paper]. How teachers and students interact and engage is key to improve learning outcomes. Cost-effective approaches pr ‘smart buys’ to improve learning in low-income countries are discussed in a World Bank report. Teaching is paramount, and therefore so are teacher policies to ensure that successful teachers make for successful students. Standards for the teaching profession were proposed by Education International and UNESCO with regional standards available from the Africa Union Commission, including a framework for standards and competencies. MENA, in its recent general state of education report, provides insights into the current status of the Ivorian educational system. The report highlights ongoing efforts to improve teaching and learning. A Time to Teach study emphasizes the issue of teacher absenteeism, revealing that approximately 25 percent of teaching time in primary schools is lost due to this factor. The study delves into the factors influencing teacher attendance, offering a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced in primary schools. Additionally, The Data Must Speak (DMS) research, conducted by UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, documents the performance factors of Côte d’Ivoire's education system, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the teaching and learning landscape.

Strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education [GPE-KIX Discussion Paper]. Experiences children undergo in early childhood can affect their entire life. Nurturing care is essential. Essential interventions in early childhood include pre-primary education.  Yet less than half of young children in Africa benefit from pre-primary education according to the Global Education Monitoring report 2021.  The Office of Research at UNICEF maintains a webpage with useful links to organizations working on child-related themes organized by subject, including early childhood. Data on early childhood development are available through a nurturing care profile. GPE's support for an early grade reading intervention  in Ivory Coast is notable, particularly in the context of ensuring continuous learning amid the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Achieving Gender Equality In and Through Education [GPE-KIX Discussion Paper]. The cost of gender inequality is massive, as is the cost of not educating girls, including in Africa. When girls lack education, this affects their earnings in adulthood, the number of children they will have and their health, as well as their agency, among others. When girls are not in school, they are also at higher risk of child marriage, with again high costs for them, their children, and society. In Africa, the African Union’s International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa supports member states on girls’ education. The participation of girls at the secondary education level remains a challenge in Côte d’Ivoire. However, the country has implemented mechanisms to address this issue, aiming to improve girls' access to and participation in education. 

Data Management Systems Strengthening [GPEKIX Discussion Paper]. Education management information systems (EMIS) are key for management. They can also support evidence-based policymaking. In Africa, the African Union’s Institute of Education for Development supports member states on EMIS. In addition to EMIS data, other data sources including household surveys, school surveys, student assessments, and impact evaluations of pilot interventions are essential to inform policy. The World Education is actively involved in implementing a project focused on the "Establishment of Integrated Education Management and Information System (EMIS) and National and International Student Assessment Program" in Côte d’Ivoire. 

Equity and Inclusion/Leaving No One Behind [GPEKIX Discussion Paper]. Equity and inclusion are major challenges for education systems. Gender, disability, ethnicity, indigenous status, poverty, displacement, and many other factors may all lead some children to lack access to education. In Africa especially, gaps in educational outcomes between groups may be large, as illustrated in the case of disability. Equity must be at the center of education policy on the continent. UNICEF has supported Côte d’Ivoire in the implementation of the National Strategy for the Integration of Children from Islamic Education Structures into the Formal Education System (SNIESIE) from 2019 to 2021. Additionally, the UNESCO GEM Report provides information on strategies, policies, and projects aimed at improving the provision of inclusive education in Ivory Coast, emphasizing the importance of equity and inclusion in the education system.

Note on UNESCO IICBA Research. IICBA recently launched a new program of applied research on teacher and education issues in Africa. This includes studies, discussion papers, training guides, reports, knowledge briefs, data briefs, event summaries, and interviews. Several of those publications focus on Côte d’Ivoire. All publications are available on IICBA’s website.

Country Policies 

Information on Côte d’Ivoire’s education system and policies is available on the website of the Ministry of National Education and Literacy (MENA) which covers basic and higher education. The Technical education and vocational training (TVET) is under the Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training and Apprenticeship (METFPA). The country’s Education Sector Plan covers the period from 2016 to 2025. While some African countries have an independent Teacher Service Commission, Côte d’Ivoire does not. 

A few organizations aim to capture education policies on specific themes across countries, including Côte d’Ivoire. UNESCO’s Profiles Enhancing Education Reviews (PEER) covering the themes of the Global Education Monitoring reports, including: inclusion in education (2020 Report), non-state actors in education (2021/22 Report), technology in education (2023 Report) and leadership in education (2024/25 Report, forthcoming). PEER also covers additional topics on key SDG 4 issues, including financing for equity, climate change communication and education, and comprehensive sexuality education. Another example is the World Bank’s Education Policy Dashboard. 

Knowledge Repositories

Only a few links to the literature on education by theme for Côte d’Ivoire, Africa, and globally were provided earlier to keep the brief short, but repositories of digital resources facilitate access to the literature. A few of those repositories are listed below by alphabetical order:

Many organizations maintain websites that include country pages with useful information. Examples include the GPE Côte d’Ivoire Country Page; UNICEF Côte d’Ivoire Country Page; World Bank Côte d’Ivoire Country Page; UNESCO IIEP Country Page. Many organizations also maintain blogs on education issues, often with stories on Africa. Examples include Education for All (Global Partnership for Education), Education for Global Development (World Bank), Education Plus Development (Brookings Institutions), and World Education Blog (UNESCO). Beyond blogs focusing on education, blogs on Africa more generally may also provide useful resources. This includes Africa Can End Poverty and Nasikiliza (the World Bank’s two blogs for sub-Saharan Africa ) and  Arab Voices (the Bank’s blog for the Middle East and North Africa).

Data

While education data are available on the website of the Ministry of National Education and Literacy (MENA), it is often useful to download data for Côte d’Ivoire and other countries from multi-country databases. The largest database on development, including education data, is the World Bank’s World Development Indicators (WDI). The World Bank also maintain the Education Statistics (EdStats) database. Both World Bank databases rely in part for education on data from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics. UNESCO also maintains the Global Education Observatory and the World Inequality Database in Education (WIDE), as well as a wide range of other databases. Specific estimates are occasionally maintained by other agencies. For example, UNICEF provides data on out-of-school rates, adjusted net attendance rates, completion rates, foundational learning skills, information communication technology skills, youth and adult literacy rates, and school-age digital connectivity. Another useful reference is StatCompiler which provides data at various levels of aggregation from Demographic and Health Surveys across countries and over time, including Côte d’Ivoire. For comparison purposes, data from the OECD for member and partner countries (including South Africa) can be useful.

References

References are available through the links provided in this brief.