The Education System in Guinea

The educational system of the country of Guinea before it became an independent country was patterned on that of France. All schools in the country were nationalized in 1961. French remains the language of instruction, apparently as an interim measure. A cultural revolution aimed at de-Westernizing Guinean life was inaugurated in 1968. Since then, eight vernaculars have been added to the school curriculum, and village-level programs have been set up to assist in the implementation of the plan. Although the French educational structure and its traditional degrees have been retained, African history and geography are now stressed.

Education in the country is free and officially compulsory for all children between the ages of 7 and 13, but in 1997 only 54% of eligible children actually attended primary school. The enrollment ratio dropped to 14% for the secondary schools. Enrollment remains substantially lower among girls than boys. The gross female enrollment was 40.7% compared to the 67.7% for the boys. The percentage of adult literacy is 41%. In 1999, primary school attendance was 40%. One girl attends school for every two boys. The government resources for education are limited, there are not enough school facilities to adequately serve the population of school-age children and the availability of school supplies and equipment is poor.

In 1962, the private schools were nationalized. Higher education is provided by universities at Conakry and Kankan and by 21 other institutions. In 1991, the government of Guinea initiated an education sector reform program to increase enrollment, particularly for girls, and to improve education services. As 2001, the reform was ongoing, and the government was continuing to commit funds for educational improvements.