Primary school completion rates in the nation reached 94.6% in 2024, a significant increase from 88.6% in 2022 and 88.8% in 2023, according to recently released figures from the Ministry of National Education.
The improvement is attributed to a concerted government policy focused on access to and retention in schooling. Key initiatives include the elimination of primary school fees, a building program that delivered 1,526 new classrooms between 2023 and 2024, a substantial recruitment drive for teachers, and the implementation of school canteen programs designed to combat dropout rates linked to malnutrition. These measures have demonstrably reduced school attrition in both urban and rural areas.
With increased access secured, the focus is now shifting to the quality of education. Authorities recognize the continued need to strengthen foundational skills, and are responding with updated curricula designed to reflect the country’s evolving socioeconomic landscape. The French national curriculum is structured around four cycles, spanning from kindergarten to middle school, with each cycle lasting three years to allow students to progress at their own pace towards achieving established learning objectives.
The 2024-2025 school year brought regulatory changes published in the Official Bulletin on July 26th, primarily reinforcing instruction in French and mathematics. The Ministry of National Education disseminates official programs through Éduscol, though some teachers have noted challenges navigating the platform. The current cycle structure, established by a 2015 reform, aims to respect students’ learning rhythms, allowing them up to two years to meet objectives without being considered to have failed.
The first cycle corresponds to kindergarten, serving children aged three to six, and focuses on five key areas: language development, physical activity, artistic expression, the development of foundational thinking skills, and exploration of the world. The elementary school level, encompassing cycles two and the first two years of cycle three, serves students aged six to eleven, with classes organized into Cours Préparatoire (CP), Cours Élémentaire 1ère année (CE1), Cours Élémentaire 2e année (CE2), Cours Moyen 1re année (CM1), and Cours Moyen 2e année (CM2).
For 2026, the education sector is allocated a budget of 212 billion Fcfa, signaling a firm commitment to consolidating gains and leveraging basic education as a strategic driver of sustainable human development. The Ministry of Education is also expected to soon unveil the first “labeled” textbooks for the 2024 school year, following the publication of draft programs for kindergarten and the first four years of primary school in French and mathematics by the Higher Council of Programs (CSP) in April 2024.
