BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON
IVORY COAST
People and Society
Ivory Coast is part of Sub-Saharan Africa. The Nationality in Ivory Coast is Ivorian. Ivory Coast has a population of approximately 22.6 million people as of now.
The Ethnic Groups include Akan which makes up 42.1% of the country, Voltaiques or Gur which makes up p 17.6% of the country, Northern Mandes which makes up 16.5% of the country, Krous which makes up 11% of the country, Southern Mandes which makes up 10% of the country,and other 2.8% (includes 130 thousand Lebanese and 14 thousand French).
The official language in Ivory Coast is French.
As of 2008, by far the Religion make up in Ivory Coast is 38.6% Muslim, 32.8% Christian, 11.9% indigenous and 16.7% none.
As of 2014, the total dependency ratio is 79.7%. As of 2008, by far Ivory Coast's education expenditure is about 4.6% of GDP. They are ranked 89th in comparison to the world. As of 2012, the literacy rate of the total population is 41%.(The World Factbook, n.d.).
Poverty
Ivory Coast is a low-income country.In fact,there is a high poverty rate of 42.7% (World Bank, 2013). It registered a huge increase in the prevalence of poverty in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the income gap widened and the amount of poverty in rural areas became apparent. The civil war that started in 2002 disrupted the social, political and economic fabric of the country. Many in the thousands were killed, and hundreds of thousands were displaced. This conflict critically affected poor people in rural areas, who have gone through a much worse living standard (Rural Poverty Portal, n.d.).
Majority of the country's poor people are the small-scale farmers. Those who have limited access to land are among the poorest, and young people and women are particularly vulnerable. Women have very little decision-making power over the allocation of land, and are usually dependent on men for access to it. However gaining access to land is extremely important for women as their livelihoods depend mainly on the production of food crops (Rural Poverty Portal, n.d.).
Limited access to land is one of the main causes of rural poverty. Small-scale producers have access to only about half the amount of land available to large-scale producers of export crops. Education levels among these producers are low, and there is a limit to their access to technology (Rural Poverty Portal, n.d.).
Ivory Coast are among the countries in West Africa with one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. The government has instituted a ministry to stop AIDS. A wide range of national and international initiatives emphasise on HIV/AIDS prevention, awareness and testing. The deterioration of public health facilities in the north due to the Civil War has made the situation worse (Rural Poverty Portal, n.d.).
Environment Sustainability
Ivory Coast is highly dependent on agriculture and its related activities, which engage in about 66% of the population (The World Factbook, n.d.). Ivory Coast, from 2002 is ranked the number one cocoa producing country, having produced 1.1 million tons of cocoa in 2002. More than nine million residents earn their livelihood from tropical agriculture, by either growing cocoa or coffee,cotton, wood or pineapples. Due to pervasive husbandry as well as widespread monoculture which has caused the strong reduction in biodiversity, the productivity of conventional cocoa farming is relatively low, standing still at about 400 kg per acre(Ivory Coast, Sustainable Cocoa Production, n.d.).
Ivory Coast is also the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. Since the end of the conflict (the Civil War) in 2003, political distress has continued to worsen the economy, ensuing in slow economic growth and the loss of foreign investment. The GDP (official exchange rate as of 2014 is 33.96 billion USD. The Public debt is 42.9% of GDP as of 2014, which is ranked 87th in the whole world (The World Factbook, n.d.).
Academic Programmes (Curriculum)
In Ivory Coast, the government plays a key role in the planning of curriculum, coordinating and allocating resources in the Education Department. The organisation of national exams through the the Education Ministry, Vocational Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry, which are also under the government.
In general, the curriculum for education in Ivory Coast is similar to the French curriculum, apart from the fact that the Ivory Coast curriculum focuses more on the French language since it is a foreign language to most students. Primary school is categorised into three two-year programs which are, namely the preparatory course during the first two years, the elementary course in the third and fourth years, and lastly the middle course, in the fifth and sixth year.
Primary School Curriculum
These programs take place for a duration of 30 hours each week, with an emphasis on the French and Language Arts. This emphasis can be seen during the first four years of primary school where 17.5, 18.5, 15 and 15 hours respectively out of 30 hours of school each week have been placed on these two subjects. In last two years of school, French and Language Arts take up 11.5 out of 30 hours. At the end of the six-year program, successful students are awarded with the Certificat d’etudes primaires elementaire, also referred to as the CEPE .
Secondary School Curriculum
Similar to the primary school education in Ivory Coast, the secondary school education follows the French one as well, only with an alteration in content in the areas of Geography and History.
Secondary education in Ivory Coast lasts for a total of seven years of school, which is further broken down into two cycles. The first four years, also commonly known as the first cycle, prepares students for a national exam , breevet d'études du premier cycle, BEPC. Students who pass can then enter the second cycle which takes place across a span of 3 years.This cycle leads to the national exam Baccalauréat, which is necessary for the student to be admitted into and the University or any other higher education.
Upper secondary education takes place in two tracks, the “Classical” and the “Modern”, which allows students to specialise in Mathematics, Modern Languages, Economics or Sciences. The different tracks in the Second Cycle therefore allow students to focus on a future major, hence aiming to improve the productivity of the secondary education in general.
Teacher Pedagogy
Primary school teachers are trained in several higher education establishment outside the framework of the public university system and Centre of animation and educational training Yamoussoukro or have passed the National Diploma. Teachers for the first cycle of secondary schools must hold the baccalauréat degree and study at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), leading to The Certificate of Fitness professorship of secondary education and must pass the CAPES (Côte d'Ivoire - Teacher Training, n.d.). Klassen (1969) stated that Teacher Training at ENS has departments for teacher training based on linguistics,foreign language, Negro-African literature and culture and psycho-pedagogy, including pedagogical theory and practical courses, where they complete eight weeks of practice teaching in the establishments of Second Degree in the last year.
However, from 1967 to 1968, only 543 were fully qualified teachers of all private and public elementary school teachers, having acquired the baccalaureate (that requires 13 years) ; 3,703 were assistant teachers, holding the BEPC (the lower secondary certificate that requires 10 years) and having 1 year of teacher training; 2,055 were monitors, having from 7 to 10 years of education; and 1,960 were assistant monitors, having only 6 years (Bolibaugh,1972). This indicates the low standards of the teachers in Ivory Coast. In fact, numerous studies are critical of the quality of instruction and cite as major causes the poor education and the lack of professional commitment of most teachers. From then onwards, new teachers are needed to have 10 years of education and a full year of professional training.
Ivory Coast is part of Sub-Saharan Africa. The Nationality in Ivory Coast is Ivorian. Ivory Coast has a population of approximately 22.6 million people as of now.
The Ethnic Groups include Akan which makes up 42.1% of the country, Voltaiques or Gur which makes up p 17.6% of the country, Northern Mandes which makes up 16.5% of the country, Krous which makes up 11% of the country, Southern Mandes which makes up 10% of the country,and other 2.8% (includes 130 thousand Lebanese and 14 thousand French).
The official language in Ivory Coast is French.
As of 2008, by far the Religion make up in Ivory Coast is 38.6% Muslim, 32.8% Christian, 11.9% indigenous and 16.7% none.
As of 2014, the total dependency ratio is 79.7%. As of 2008, by far Ivory Coast's education expenditure is about 4.6% of GDP. They are ranked 89th in comparison to the world. As of 2012, the literacy rate of the total population is 41%.(The World Factbook, n.d.).
Poverty
Ivory Coast is a low-income country.In fact,there is a high poverty rate of 42.7% (World Bank, 2013). It registered a huge increase in the prevalence of poverty in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the income gap widened and the amount of poverty in rural areas became apparent. The civil war that started in 2002 disrupted the social, political and economic fabric of the country. Many in the thousands were killed, and hundreds of thousands were displaced. This conflict critically affected poor people in rural areas, who have gone through a much worse living standard (Rural Poverty Portal, n.d.).
Majority of the country's poor people are the small-scale farmers. Those who have limited access to land are among the poorest, and young people and women are particularly vulnerable. Women have very little decision-making power over the allocation of land, and are usually dependent on men for access to it. However gaining access to land is extremely important for women as their livelihoods depend mainly on the production of food crops (Rural Poverty Portal, n.d.).
Limited access to land is one of the main causes of rural poverty. Small-scale producers have access to only about half the amount of land available to large-scale producers of export crops. Education levels among these producers are low, and there is a limit to their access to technology (Rural Poverty Portal, n.d.).
Ivory Coast are among the countries in West Africa with one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. The government has instituted a ministry to stop AIDS. A wide range of national and international initiatives emphasise on HIV/AIDS prevention, awareness and testing. The deterioration of public health facilities in the north due to the Civil War has made the situation worse (Rural Poverty Portal, n.d.).
Environment Sustainability
Ivory Coast is highly dependent on agriculture and its related activities, which engage in about 66% of the population (The World Factbook, n.d.). Ivory Coast, from 2002 is ranked the number one cocoa producing country, having produced 1.1 million tons of cocoa in 2002. More than nine million residents earn their livelihood from tropical agriculture, by either growing cocoa or coffee,cotton, wood or pineapples. Due to pervasive husbandry as well as widespread monoculture which has caused the strong reduction in biodiversity, the productivity of conventional cocoa farming is relatively low, standing still at about 400 kg per acre(Ivory Coast, Sustainable Cocoa Production, n.d.).
Ivory Coast is also the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. Since the end of the conflict (the Civil War) in 2003, political distress has continued to worsen the economy, ensuing in slow economic growth and the loss of foreign investment. The GDP (official exchange rate as of 2014 is 33.96 billion USD. The Public debt is 42.9% of GDP as of 2014, which is ranked 87th in the whole world (The World Factbook, n.d.).
Academic Programmes (Curriculum)
In Ivory Coast, the government plays a key role in the planning of curriculum, coordinating and allocating resources in the Education Department. The organisation of national exams through the the Education Ministry, Vocational Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry, which are also under the government.
In general, the curriculum for education in Ivory Coast is similar to the French curriculum, apart from the fact that the Ivory Coast curriculum focuses more on the French language since it is a foreign language to most students. Primary school is categorised into three two-year programs which are, namely the preparatory course during the first two years, the elementary course in the third and fourth years, and lastly the middle course, in the fifth and sixth year.
Primary School Curriculum
These programs take place for a duration of 30 hours each week, with an emphasis on the French and Language Arts. This emphasis can be seen during the first four years of primary school where 17.5, 18.5, 15 and 15 hours respectively out of 30 hours of school each week have been placed on these two subjects. In last two years of school, French and Language Arts take up 11.5 out of 30 hours. At the end of the six-year program, successful students are awarded with the Certificat d’etudes primaires elementaire, also referred to as the CEPE .
Secondary School Curriculum
Similar to the primary school education in Ivory Coast, the secondary school education follows the French one as well, only with an alteration in content in the areas of Geography and History.
Secondary education in Ivory Coast lasts for a total of seven years of school, which is further broken down into two cycles. The first four years, also commonly known as the first cycle, prepares students for a national exam , breevet d'études du premier cycle, BEPC. Students who pass can then enter the second cycle which takes place across a span of 3 years.This cycle leads to the national exam Baccalauréat, which is necessary for the student to be admitted into and the University or any other higher education.
Upper secondary education takes place in two tracks, the “Classical” and the “Modern”, which allows students to specialise in Mathematics, Modern Languages, Economics or Sciences. The different tracks in the Second Cycle therefore allow students to focus on a future major, hence aiming to improve the productivity of the secondary education in general.
Teacher Pedagogy
Primary school teachers are trained in several higher education establishment outside the framework of the public university system and Centre of animation and educational training Yamoussoukro or have passed the National Diploma. Teachers for the first cycle of secondary schools must hold the baccalauréat degree and study at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS), leading to The Certificate of Fitness professorship of secondary education and must pass the CAPES (Côte d'Ivoire - Teacher Training, n.d.). Klassen (1969) stated that Teacher Training at ENS has departments for teacher training based on linguistics,foreign language, Negro-African literature and culture and psycho-pedagogy, including pedagogical theory and practical courses, where they complete eight weeks of practice teaching in the establishments of Second Degree in the last year.
However, from 1967 to 1968, only 543 were fully qualified teachers of all private and public elementary school teachers, having acquired the baccalaureate (that requires 13 years) ; 3,703 were assistant teachers, holding the BEPC (the lower secondary certificate that requires 10 years) and having 1 year of teacher training; 2,055 were monitors, having from 7 to 10 years of education; and 1,960 were assistant monitors, having only 6 years (Bolibaugh,1972). This indicates the low standards of the teachers in Ivory Coast. In fact, numerous studies are critical of the quality of instruction and cite as major causes the poor education and the lack of professional commitment of most teachers. From then onwards, new teachers are needed to have 10 years of education and a full year of professional training.
