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The education system of Djibouti is strongly influenced by Arabs and France's colonial empire.[ citation needed ]
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) [1] finds that Djibouti is fulfilling only 44.6% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to education based on the country's level of income. [2] HRMI breaks down the right to education by looking at the rights to both primary education and secondary education. While taking into consideration Djibouti's income level, the nation is achieving 45.9% of what should be possible based on its resources (income) for primary education but only 43.3% for secondary education. [3]
Djibouti is a small and resource-poor country of 23,200 square kilometers. The population is estimated at 800,000, of which 87% live in urban areas. A poor pastoral and largely nomadic population sparsely occupies the hinterland, an extension of the deserts of Ethiopia and Somalia. Djibouti's population is young. About 40% of population is under age 15, and only 15% is over age 40. [4] According to UNDP, Djibouti ranked 149th in Human Development Index in 1992. [5]
Djibouti's education system is on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) although Djibouti has expanded its access to education. About 70% of the total population and 85% of women are literate. There are inequalities in access to education in regions, gender, and income levels. Moreover, pressures on the education system will intensify because of steady demographic growth (population growth rate is estimated at 2.4%) and increased demand for quality of education. [6]
Since the Medium-term Plan 2000–2005 and the New Education Law were implemented, Djibouti has achieved significant progresses at all levels of education as they have internally and externally mobilized resources for the financing of construction, equipment purchases, and teacher recruitment. [7]
The education system in Djibouti was originally developed to meet a limited demand for education; it was essentially designed for elites and borrowed heavily from the French system (administrative structure and pedagogical methods). [8] [9] This system was not adapted to the country's realities. Although the government effort resulted in an increase in enrollment during the 1990s, the education system is still below people's expectations and the needs of a developing nation. [10]
A restructured education system by the New Education Law consists of nine years (five years of primary education followed by four years of middle education). This nine year education is now compulsory. To enter into the secondary educational system of three years, a Certificate of Fundamental Education is required. The New Education Law has also introduced vocational education in secondary level and has established university facilities in Djibouti. [11] There are 81 public primary schools, 24 registered private primary schools, 12 secondary schools, and two vocational schools in Djibouti. [12]
In 1999 the government revisited its education policies and launched a consultative process, National Education Forum (Etats Généraux de l’Education), which included all stakeholders (administration, teachers, parents, national assembly, and NGOs). Facing challenges of extremely low enrollments, internal and external inefficiencies, gender and socio-economic inequities, high unit costs and a skewed expenditure structure toward teacher wages, the forum set out an ambitious reform program, aiming to develop an education system that is efficient, financially viable, and responsive to the country's development needs. Building on the consensus and the recommendations, the government developed a Ten-Year Perspective Plan (Schéma Directeur 2000–2010). In August 2000, the government passed a New Education Law (Loi d’orientation du système éducatif) and prepared the Medium-Term Plan 2000-2005 (Plan d’action à moyen terme). [13] [14] [15] [16]
The reform initiative sought to improve the quality of instruction, to increase the role of parents and communities, to introduce competency-based approaches to student learning, and to strengthen the capacity of private and non-formal system to reach youth who were not enrolled, especially girls. [17]
Government strategy covers basic education, vocational education, secondary education, higher education, adult education and, in particular, women's literacy. [18]
Public education expenditure as percentage of GDP was 8.6 in 2007, and public expenditure as percentage of government spending was 22.8 in 2007. [19] Share of public expenditure for primary education as percentage of total public education expenditure was 19.0 in 2007. [20] In Djibouti, households play an important part in the financing of education services. Households contribute to education services in two ways: They pay tuition in private schools, and some households spend on books and other pedagogic materials. [21]
Pre-primary education is a two-year education and the first stage of basic education. [22] In pre-primary education, 688 male and 613 female were enrolled in 2008. [23] Gross enrollment rate in pre-primary education was 3.2% for total, 3.3% for males and 3.0% for females in 2008. [24] Gender parity index for gross enrollment rate in pre-primary education was 0.91 in 2008. [25] Private enrollment share in pre-primary education was 89.0% in 2008. [26]
Primary education is a five-year education and the second stage of basic education. [27] In primary education, 30,165 male and 26,230 female were enrolled in 2008. [28] Gross enrollment rate in primary education was 55.5% for total, 58.9% for male, and 52.1 for female in 2008. Gross enrollment rate has significantly improved (gross enrollment rate in 2000 was 32.5% for total, 37.5% for male, and 27.4% for female). [29] By constructing new schools and classrooms and offering “school cafeteria” and “school supplies” program, school access and retention by children, particularly for poor rural families, became easier. [30] Gender parity index for gross enrollment rate in primary education was 0.88 in 2008. [31] Private enrollment share in primary education was 13.6% in 2008. [32]
Middle education consists of four years. In middle education, 17,503 male and 12,448 female were enrolled in 2008. [33] Gross enrollment rate in middle education was 37.0% for total, 42.9% for male and 31.0% for female in 2008. [34] Gender parity index for gross enrollment rate in middle education was 0.72 in 2008. [35] Private enrollment share of general education in middle education was 9.7% in 2008. [36]
General education of secondary education consists of three years. In secondary education, 6,905 male and 4,303 female were enrolled in 2008. [37] Gross enrollment rate in secondary education was 19.1% for total, 23.3% for male and 14.8% for female in 2008. Gender parity index for gross enrollment rate in secondary education was 0.63 in 2008. Private enrollment share of general education in secondary education was 22.9% in 2008. [38]
Technical secondary education lasts three years and vocational secondary education lasts two years. [39] Private enrollment share of technical and vocational education was 10.7% in 2006. [40]
In tertiary education, 1,306 male and 886 female were enrolled in 2007. Gross enrollment rate in tertiary education was 2.6% for total, 3.1% for male and 2.1% for female in 2007. Gender parity index for gross enrollment rate in tertiary education was 0.69 in 2007. [41]
In Djibouti, teacher attrition is very high and new teachers are not recruited enough. In addition, the local teacher-training institute is unable to graduate more than 130 teachers per year. [42] Notwithstanding shortage of trained teachers, historically, Djibouti always had a core of well-qualified trained teachers. Nearly all teachers in Djibouti are trained in the highly selective Personnel Training Center for National Education (Centre d’Exécution des Projets education: CFPEN). Most teachers in primary education have a primary level certificate (61%) or a baccalaureat (33%). [43]
Djibouti has yet to develop a sector-specific information and communication technologies (ICT) for education policy although ICT has been recognized as a critical tool in modernizing the education sector to meet the diverse human resource demand for the country. The ministry has prioritized capacity-building for teachers in the use of ICT through the National Education and ICT project and the automation of the ministry. The ministry managed to develop several ICT programs. [44]
The National Education Production Information and Research Center develops educational content that is broadcast through Djibouti once a week through its School Radio project to increase access and to improve quality of education. These programs mainly cover secondary school subjects such as mathematics and science in French. Some of the programs are targeted to youth who do not enroll in schools. [45]
The nomadic population (the Afars and the Somalis) numbers 100,000, which represents one-sixth of the population in Djibouti. Participation rates in education in rural areas were very low (15% for boys and 11% for girls). Parents appear to be open to sending their children to school as they see a bleak future in animal husbandry. The school canteen is a motivation for nomadic families to send their children to school, especially in the poorer areas. [46]
Although Djibouti has improved student access to schools, it is still not on track to meet the MDGs. Djibouti has been eligible for additional external funding, such as the EFA-FTI Catalytic Fund. In the Middle East and North Africa region, Djibouti and Yemen are eligible. (See Education in Yemen.) Eight million USD were allocated in Djibouti, and US$8 million were all disbursed as of September 15, 2009. [47] The Catalytic Fund is a multi-donor trust fund managed by the World Bank on behalf of donors. The purpose of the Catalytic Fund is to provide transitional financial assistance to FTI eligible countries. This fund was established in November 2003. [48]
In the 21st century, the Government of Egypt has given greater priority to improving the education system. According to the Human Development Index (HDI), Egypt is ranked 97 in the HDI, and 9 in the lowest 10 HDI countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa, in 2014. With the help of the World Bank and other multilateral organizations Egypt aims to increase access in early childhood to care and educate the inclusion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at all levels of education, especially at the tertiary level. The government is responsible for offering free education at all levels. The current overall expenditure on education is about 12.6 percent as of 2007. Investment in education as a percentage of GDP rose to 4.8 in 2005 but then fell to 3.7 in 2007. The Ministry of Education is also tackling a number of issues: trying to move from a highly centralized system to offering more autonomy to individual institutions, thereby increasing accountability. The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that Egypt is achieving 65.5% of what should be possible for the right to education, at their level of income.
Education in Rwanda has undergone considerable changes throughout Rwanda's recent history, and has faced major disruptions due to periods of conflict. Education was divided by gender whereby women and men had a different education relevant to their responsibilities in day-to-day life. Women were mostly taught housekeeping while men were mainly taught how to hunt, raise animals, and fish. This is because Rwanda was a community-based society where every member had a specific contribution to the overall development of the community. Older family members like grandparents usually took on the role of educators.
Education in Bolivia, as in many other areas of Bolivian life, has a divide between Bolivia's rural and urban areas. Rural illiteracy levels remain high, even as the rest of the country becomes increasingly literate. Bolivia devotes 23% of its annual budget to educational expenditures, a higher percentage than in most other South American countries, albeit from a smaller national budget. A comprehensive, education reform has made some significant changes. Initiated in 1994, the reform decentralized educational funding in order to meet diverse local needs, improved teacher training and curricula, formalized and expanded intercultural bilingual education and changed the school grade system. Resistance from teachers’ unions, however, has slowed implementation of some of the intended reforms.
Education in the State of Palestine refers to the educational system in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which is administered by the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Enrollment rates amongst Palestinians are relatively high by regional and global standards. According to a youth survey in 2003, 60% between the ages 10–24 indicated that education was their first priority. Youth literacy rate was 98.2%, while the national literacy rate was 91.1% in 2006. The literacy rate ages 15-24 was 99.4% in 2016. Enrollment ratios for higher education were 45% in 2022. In 2016 Hanan Al Hroub was awarded the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize for her work in teaching children how to cope with violence.
Education in Ghana uses a dualistic approach encompassing both formal and informal learning systems. The current formal educational system was introduced during European colonisation. However, learning systems existed prior to that. The University of Moliyili is one of the earliest learning centers in Ghana established in the 1700s. During colonisation, European settlers initially introduced a formal education system addressed to the elites, while education of the average citizen was mainly informal, and based on apprenticeship. Economic activities in pre-colonial Ghana were based on farm produce shared within households and members of each household specialized in providing necessities such as cooking utilities, shelter, clothing, and furniture, and trade with other households was therefore practiced on a very small scale. As such there was no need for employment outside the household that would have otherwise called for disciplines, values, and skills through a formal education system. After colonization, Ghana's economy became a hybrid of subsistence and formal economy.
Education in Lebanon is regulated by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE). In Lebanon, the main three languages, English and/or French with Arabic are taught from early years in schools. English or French are the mandatory media of instruction for mathematics and sciences for all schools. Education is compulsory from age 3 to 14.
The education system of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan includes basic, secondary, and higher education and has dramatically evolved since the establishment of the state in the early 1900s. The role played by a good education system has been significant in the development of Jordan from a predominantly agrarian to an industrialized nation over time.
Education in Cambodia is controlled by the state through the Ministry of Education in a national level and by the Department of Education at the provincial level. The Cambodian education system includes pre-school, primary, secondary education, higher education and non-formal education. The education system includes the development of sport, information technology education, research development and technical education. School enrollment has increased during the 2000s in Cambodia. USAID data shows that in 2011 primary enrollment reached 96% of the child population, lower secondary school 34% and upper secondary 21%.
Yemen ranked 150 out of 177 in the 2006 Human Development Index and 121 out of 140 countries in the Gender Development Index (2006). In 2005, 81 percent of Yemen's school-age population was enrolled in primary school; enrollment of the female population was 74 percent. Then in 2005, about 46 percent of the school-age population was enrolled in secondary school, including only 30 percent of eligible females. The country is still struggling to provide the requisite infrastructure. School facilities and educational materials are of poor quality, classrooms are too few in number, and the teaching faculty is inadequate.
The Constitution mandates free and compulsory primary education in the Gambia, but a lack of resources and education infrastructure has made implementation difficult. In 1995, the gross primary enrollment rate was 77.1 percent and the net primary enrollment rate was 64.7 percent. School fees long prevented many children from attending school, but in February 1998 the president of the Gambia ordered the termination of fees for the first six years of schooling. Girls make up about 40 percent of primary school students, though the figure is much lower in rural areas where cultural factors and poverty prevent parents from sending girls to school. Approximately 20 percent of school-age children attend Koranic schools, which usually have a restricted curriculum.
Practically all children attend Quranic school for two or three years, starting around age five; there they learn the rudiments of the Islamic faith and some classical Arabic. When rural children attend these schools, they sometimes move away from home and help the teacher work his land.
The education system in Morocco comprises pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary levels. School education is supervised by the Ministry of National Education, with considerable devolution to the regional level. Higher education falls under the Ministry of Higher Education and Executive Training.
Education in Kyrgyzstan is compulsory for nine years, between ages seven and 15. Following four years of primary and five years of lower secondary school, the system offers two years of upper secondary school, specialized secondary school, or vocational/technical school.
The State of Kuwait, located at the head of the Persian Gulf, supports an educational policy that seeks to provide an opportunity to all children, irrespective of their social class, including children with special needs. Kuwait was ranked 63rd on the Human Development Index report for 2011 by the United Nations Development Programme, placing Kuwait above the regional average.
Education in Ivory Coast continues to face many challenges. Among sub-Saharan African countries, Ivory Coast has one of the highest literacy rates. According to The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency as of facts. The literacy rate for adults remains low: in 2000, it was estimated that only 48.7% of the total population was literate. Many children between 6 and 10 years are not enrolled in school, mainly children of poor families. The majority of students in secondary education are male. At the end of secondary education, students can sit the Baccalauréat examination. The country has universities in Abidjan, Bouaké, and Yamoussoukro.
Benin has abolished school fees and is carrying out the recommendations of its 2007 Educational Forum. In 2018, the net primary enrollment rate was 97 percent. Gross enrollment rate in secondary education has greatly increased in the last two decades, from 21.8 percent in 2000 to 59 percent in 2016, 67.1 percent in the case of males and 50.7 percent for females. Because of a rapid increase in the enrollment rate, the student/teacher ratio rose from 36:1 in 1990 to 53:1 in 1997 but has dropped again in the last years to 39:1 (2018). In 2018, the gross enrollment ratio in tertiary education was 12.5%.
Education in Lesotho has undergone reforms in recent years, meaning that primary education is now free, universal, and compulsory.
Education in Niger, as in other nations in the Sahelian region of Africa, faces challenges due to poverty and poor access to schools. Although education is compulsory between the ages of seven and fifteen, with primary and secondary school leading into optional higher education, Niger has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. With assistance from external organizations, Niger has been pursuing educational improvement, reforming how schools utilize languages of instruction, and exploring how the system can close gender gaps in retention and learning.
Since gaining independence from France in 1956, the government of Tunisia has focused on developing an education system which produces a solid human capital base that could respond to the changing needs of a developing nation. Sustained structural reform efforts since the early 1990s, prudent macroeconomic policies, and deeper trade integration in the global economy have created an enabling environment for growth. This environment has been conducive to attain achievements in the education sector which placed Tunisia ahead of countries with similar income levels, and in a good position to achieve MDGs. According to the HDI 2007, Tunisia is ranked 90 out of 182 countries and is ranked 4th in MENA region just below Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan. Education is the number one priority of the government of Tunisia, with more than 20 percent of government’s budget allocated for education in 2005/06. As of 2006 the public education expenditure as a percentage of GDP stood at 7 percent.
UNESCO defined the Gender Parity Index (GPI) as a socioeconomic index usually designed to measure the relative access to education of males and females. It is used by international organizations particularly in measuring the progress of developing countries. For example, some UNESCO documents consider gender parity in literacy.
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