Global Education Reference
Isle of Man
Broadly speaking, the Isle of Man's educational system is similar to that of Wales and England. The Department of Education is funded by Tynwald (the legislative assembly on the Isle of Man) and operates independently of the United Kingdom's educational authorities. The goals of the Department of Education are to provide the nation with the skills needed to survive, prosper,…
Jersey
The largest of the British Channel Islands, Jersey has benefited from its status as a dependency of the British Crown and from its location between Great Britain and France. During the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, a significant immigration of Calvinists made their way to the island from France, bringing with them a typical Calvinist emphasis on education. This period sa…
Kiribati
The Republic of Kiribati consists of 33 coral islands and is located in the central Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Kiribati gained independence from Britain in 1979 and has a population of 91,985 people (July 2000 est.). Kiribati are generally described as Micronesian, and many speak Gilbertese, a Micronesian dialect, on the islands surrounding the capital island of …
Macau
Many of Macau's earliest schools were put in place by the Portuguese government, which gained control of the East Asian territory from China in 1557. When Hong Kong was established in 1842, Macau's port became less valuable to traders, and as its economic benefit to Portugal declined, the territory was left to its own devices. Control of Macau reverted from Portugal back to …
Maldives - History Background, Constitutional Legal Foundations, Educational System—overview, Preprimary Primary Education, Secondary Education - NONFORMAL EDUCATION, SUMMARY
In the nonformal sector the government offers a Condensed Education Program called "Second Chance" to those youth and adults who have not had the opportunity to complete primary and secondary education. Short courses in areas such as early childhood care and development and languages are also provided. Education is a priority in the Maldives because it is seen as vital to th…
Malta - History Background, Constitutional Legal Foundations, Educational System—overview, Secondary Education, Higher Education - PREPRIMARY PRIMARY EDUCATION, NONFORMAL EDUCATION, SUMMARY
The majority of children attend a state or private kindergarten before beginning primary school. In 1988 the National Minimum Curriculum for kindergartens and primary schools was established. The new curriculum was transformed into specific objectives, and newly designed courses were introduced in 1990. About eleven examinations are given at the end of primary education. In the 1990s adu…
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands is a "double chain" of 34 coral islands and more than 800 reefs located about halfway between Hawaii and Papua, New Guinea, with a land area of 70 square miles and a population of about 68,126 people (2000 estimate). The island of Kwajalein is used by the United States as a missile tracking station; the islands of Bikini and Enewetak are uninhabited beca…
Martinique
Except for brief periods, Martinique has been a French possession since 1635, and it became a department of France in 1946. In July 2000, the population was estimated at 414,516. Unemployment is high—27 percent in 1997. Consequently, many Martiniquais live in metropolitan France. GDP per capita was $10,700 in 1996. French is the official language, but Creole is widely spoken. In fa…
Mauritania - History Background, Constitutional Legal Foundations, Secondary Education, Higher Education, Administration, Finance, Educational Research - EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, PREPRIMARY PRIMARY EDUCATION
Education in Mauritania is mandatory from ages 6 to 16. The school year runs from October to June. Primary and secondary education is divided into three quarters, the first one lasting 11 weeks and the remaining two lasting 13 weeks. Higher education is split into two six-month periods. The languages of instruction are both Arabic and French. Primary education begins at age six and lasts …
Mauritius - Constitutional Legal Foundations, Educational System—overview, Preprimary Primary Education, Higher Education, Teaching Profession - HISTORY BACKGROUND, SECONDARY EDUCATION, FINANCE ADMINISTRATION EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, NONFORMAL EDUCAT
Since Mauritius gained its independence from Britain in 1968, its educational system, which is based upon the British model, has seen several upgrades. Primary and secondary education in the eastern African nation have been free to all residents since 1976; higher education became free in 1988. The government runs 34 of the nation's 134 secondary schools, while religious organizati…
Mayotte
Until 1975, Mayotte, also known as Mahoré, was one of the islands of Comoros, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean between eastern Africa and the island of Madagascar. When Comoros gained its independence from France in the mid-1970s, Mayotte voted to remain a French territory. The island's educational system is based on that of France, and the primary language of inst…
Micronesia
Public education in the western Pacific archipelago most commonly known as Micronesia began early in the twentieth century. The first educational program of Micronesia was launched as part of an effort by German colonizers to mold island inhabitants into citizens willing and able to assimilate a more European work ethic and the desire for financial gain. Children began attending school at…
Monaco
The nation of Monaco is a constitutional hereditary monarchy with close ties, by treaty and geography, with France. Monaco is only 1.95 square kilometers in total area with a population of 31,693 Monegasques, according to a 2000 estimate. The country has a literacy rate of 99 percent for the total population, including many well-trained workers from other countries who have come to work i…
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country of 2.65 million inhabitants living in an area of 1.565 million square kilometers. The country is sandwiched between Russia and China, each of which also has a Mongolian population (.5 and 3.5 million, respectively). Thirty-four percent of the population is under the age of 14. About 25 percent of the population resides in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, 25 …
Montserrat
The island of Montserrat is a British territory located roughly 27 miles southwest of Antigua. In July of 1995, the Souffriere Hills Volcano on Montserrat became active, prompting widespread evacuation. Many schools were forced to serve as shelters for the island residents who did remain, and classes were not held for nearly six weeks. The island had been spending roughly 20 percent of it…
Nauru
An island in the central Pacific Ocean, Nauru is part of the British Commonwealth. The educational system there is based closely on the British model. Roman Catholic missionaries operate several parochial preprimary, primary, and secondary schools in Nauru, and during the 1990s, the Catholic church and the Nauruan government began working together in an effort to standardize the primary e…
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles consists of two groups of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The first group of islands is Curacao and Bonaire, and the second group of islands are St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, and Saba. The island of St. Maarten is shared with France. The land area is approximately 960 sq. km. with a coastline of more than 364 km. (World Factbook 2000). The 210,000 people of the island…
New Caledonia
New Caledonia was a part of France from 1946 until the late 1990s, when the nation passed the Noumea Accord. This legislation stipulates that New Caledonia, a group of islands in the southern Pacific ocean, will gradually begin operating more independently between 2000 and 2010, at which time France will retain governmental authority only in areas of currency, defense, public order, justi…
Niger
Niger, officially Republic of Niger (Republique du Niger), is a poor, landlocked Sub-Saharan nation in West Africa. Niger declared its independence in 1960, but it wasn't until 1993 that it held its first free and open election. Ongoing trouble with the Taurag, a nomadic ethnic group, and coups in 1996 and 1999 resulted in a transition to civilian rule and the creation of a Nationa…
Norfolk Island
Covering only 14 square miles, Norfolk Island is located in the South Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia. It was discovered in 1774 by British explorer James Cook and, from 1788 to 1856, the island was used as a penal settlement for convicts from Australia. In 1856 the island was turned over to the Pitcairners. The Pitcairners started the first free settlement…
Northern Mariana Islands
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is a U.S. territory that is a 300-mile archipelago comprised of 14 islands. Although the U.S. Congress approved a covenant to establish a commonwealth in 1976, it did not become a territory until 1986. Unlike the 12 outlying territories of the United States (Guam, Virgin Islands, etc.), the people of CNMI adopted a constitution for i…
Palau
Palau consists of approximately 200 islands of volcanic and coral limestone, near Indonesia and southeast of the Philippines, with a land area of about 178 square miles; eight islands are permanently inhabitable. Spain colonized Palau and sold the islands to Germany in 1899. Japan occupied Palau during World War I and was granted political control by the League of Nations in 1920…
Pitcairn
Pitcairn is located in the South Pacific. Discovered in 1767, Pitcairn is named after Major Pitcairn's son, who had first spotted the island. Populated with only 54 people of English and Polynesian background, the island's natives specialize in farming, fishing, and stamp production as their main source of income. Pitcairn is most widely known as a research site for Na…
Réunion
The island of Réunion, located in the Indian Ocean approximately 450 miles (724 kilometers) east of Madagascar, became an overseas department of France in 1946. As of July 2000, the island counted nearly 721,000 inhabitants. The educational system is based on that of the mother country. School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. More than 217,000 students attend …
Rwanda - History Background, Constitutional Legal Foundations, Educational System—overview, Preprimary Primary Education, Secondary Education - TEACHING PROFESSION
Teacher training begins with the second cycle of secondary education. Training occurs in Primary Teachers' Colleges. The government is striving to open teachers' colleges in each prefecture. Religious and private schools also continue to train teachers. The rapid expansion of the educational system has led to a shortage of teachers at all levels. …