Education

Ministry of Education located in the capital city of Praia manages the education system of the country with departments for primary, secondary and adult education, as well as inspection, research, school improvements and others. At age three, children can begin pre-school. Preschool is optional and therefore neither free of charge nor universal, nor are there preschools available in all areas of the country. Primary education is open to all children seven years or older and is tuition-free though there are expenses for uniforms and books. Despite the relatively low cost, primary education is still beyond the means of some families.

Education quality is still low and, in many cases, the student’s knowledge does not correspond to what is indicated in the curricula; school infrastructures still don’t cover the total needs and, in many cases, don’t correspond to the desired level; an important proportion (about 30%) of teachers don’t have specific qualifications nor proper pedagogic preparation, and the great mobility of teachers, namely of qualified teachers, contributes to the insufficient quality in education.

The rapid growth of children attending primary education required great efforts in order to respond to the immediate demand, and sometimes these efforts were made in detriment to other education aspects, namely education quality. The principal challenge is to find a balance point between education massification and the necessary education quality.

Since there are no other resources available, and Cape Verde primary resources remains its people, quality education continues to be Cape Verde's most important task. Therefore, a strong commitment in the education sector is necessary to improve the country's chance for growth and development. The government, through the Ministry of Education, has been attempting to carry out a program of education reform to solve this problem since the early 1990s. The challenge continues to increase year after year with little hope.

A world fit for children is one in which all children get the best possible start in life and have access to a quality basic education, including primary education that is compulsory and available free to all, and in which all children, including adolescents, have ample opportunity to develop their individual capacities in a safe and supportive environment.

Education is a human right and a key factor to reducing poverty and child labor and promoting democracy, peace, tolerance and development. Yet thousands of children of primary school age, are not enrolled in school. Thousands more are taught by untrained and underpaid teachers in overcrowded, unhealthy and poorly equipped classrooms. And a good percentage of all children do not complete five years of schooling, the minimum required for basic literacy.

One of the greatest challenges today is families not being able to afford books, uniforms and other fees, often resulting in children dropping out of school.