Guinea - History & Background, Educational System—overview, Preprimary & Primary Education, Secondary Education, Higher Education - CONSTITUTIONAL & LEGAL FOUNDATIONS, NONFORMAL EDUCATION
rate percent literacy enrollment
| BASIC DATA
|
| Official Country Name:
|
Republic of Guinea
|
| Region:
|
Africa
|
| Population:
|
7,466,200
|
| Language(s):
|
French
|
| Literacy Rate:
|
35.9%
|
| Academic Year:
|
October-July
|
| Number of Primary Schools:
|
3,723
|
| Compulsory Schooling:
|
6 years
|
| Public Expenditure on Education:
|
1.9%
|
| Foreign Students in National Universities:
|
45
|
| Educational Enrollment:
|
Primary: 674,732
|
|
|
Secondary: 143,243
|
|
|
Higher: 8,151
|
| Educational Enrollment Rate:
|
Primary: 54%
|
|
|
Secondary: 14%
|
|
|
Higher: 1%
|
| Teachers:
|
Primary: 13,883
|
|
|
Secondary: 4,958
|
|
|
Higher: 947
|
| Student-Teacher Ratio:
|
Primary: 49:1
|
|
|
Secondary: 29:1
|
| Female Enrollment Rate:
|
Primary: 41%
|
|
|
Secondary: 7%
|
|
|
Higher: 0.3%
|
The constitution of 1958 guarantees free, compulsory, and equal education to every citizen until the age of 15. However, the legal and constitutional foundations of the educational system have been undermined by an early Socialist-inspired plan that often resulted in decrees being directly handed down from the executive branch of the government without any consultation or debate with qualified experts.
Illiteracy is an ongoing problem that the Guinean government addresses through regular nationwide campaigns. While progress has been made, the percentage of illiterates among the adult population is still among the highest in West Africa. In 2000, adult literacy rates were 36 percent for males and 22 percent for females. There has been an effort to promote literacy in the national and tribal dialects, but that rate still does not exceed 50 percent.
Additional Topics
The Republic of Guinea lies on the western coast of Africa. With an area of 94,900 square miles, it is bordered by Senegal and Mali on the north, Côte d'Ivoire on the east, and Liberia and Sierra Leone on the south. The population of 7,600,000 people (January 2001 estimate) is composed of four major tribal groups: 35 percent Peuls (Fulani), 30 percent Malinke, 20 percent Susu, and 14…
Guinea set a precedent when it became the only former French colony of West Africa to sever ties completely with its past colonial framework. Everything it did, from its economy to its revolutionary educational system, was closely watched as a new African experiment in the making. The French educational system, which had been in place for more than 100 years was dismantled. Western teachers in the…
The primary and secondary educational systems are basically carried over from the French national system, which had been implemented in all former colonies of French West Africa. The school year runs from September to July. Officially, primary education begins at the age of seven and lasts for six years. Children from urban areas typically enter primary school around age six, while their counterpa…
The secondary school cycle is divided into 2 parts. The first (grades 7-9) leads to the Brevet d'Etudes du Premier Cycle or BEPC (Junior High School Certificate). Those who pass this exam are allowed into the next cycle of secondary education (grades 10-13) leading to the Baccalauréat (High School Diploma). Those students who fail the BEPC or the Baccalauréat are directed into…
Higher education in Guinea closely follows the French national system. The names of the two universities and research institutes in Guinea reflect its political past since the country chose its independence from France in 1958. The largest university, l'Université Gamal Abdel Nasser in Conakry, was founded in 1962 and named after the former Egyptian dictator to whom
S�…
The government of Guinea considers education one of the most important issues facing the nation. In March 1998, the 16-member cabinet of Prime Minister Sidya Touré included cabinet-level posts for national education and scientific research, pre-university teaching, communication and culture, and technical education and training. Supervision of secondary education is carried out by the Minis…
Recruitment and training for primary school teachers is carried out at the five normal schools located in each of the five major school districts.
The educational system of Guinea has experienced many difficulties since the country declared its independence in 1958, with the majority of these being related to ideological and political interferences. With the adoption of more democratic policies, the situation has improved. Now back to an educational system that is largely copied from the French national model, Guinea has accomplished much in…
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