Wallis and Futuna

Wallis and Futuna is an archipelago, or group of islands, in the southern Pacific Ocean. It became an overseas department of France in 1959. At that time, the nation's schools, which had previously been operated by Roman Catholic missionaries, were placed under the control of the French Ministry of National Education.

Based closely on the French model, education in Wallis and Futana is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 16. The primary language of instruction is French. Upon completion of primary education, which lasts for five years, students are required to attend a lower secondary school. Students seeking upper secondary and tertiary education typically go to New Caledonia, French Polynesia, or France, where they may enter institutions as citizen of France.