Ivory Coast/U.S. Curriculum Translation
| Grade | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Geometry | Algebra 1 | Algebra 2 | Advanced Math | ||
| Science | Biology/ Physics Blended Consider: Biology | Biology/ Chemistry Blended Consider: Chemistry | Physics/ Chemistry Earth & Space Blended Consider: Physics and Earth & Space Science | Advanced Science | Advanced Science | |
| History | World Geography | Country Specific History: Consider SPTSS | Civic Education: Consider SPTSS | Country Specific History: Consider SPTSS | World Topics Consider: SPTSS | |
| French | French 2 | French 2 or 3 | Consider AP Placement | Consider AP Placement | ||
| Foreign Language (English) | Basic Vocabulary | Vocabulary and Conversation Consider: English 1 based on Language Fluency Test | Defer to language testing | Defer to language testing | Defer to language testing | |
| Technology (ICT) | BUIM 1 | BUIM 1 | ||||
| Fine Arts | Art/Music | Art/Music | ||||
| P.E. | P.E. | P.E. |
School Year: September to June | Compulsory Education: Ages 6 – 16 | Graduation: Baccalauréat
| School | School Type | Grade | Age | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 1 – 6 | 6 – 11 | Certificate of Elementary Primary Education (CEPE) | |
| Lower Secondary | Students may enter vocational training after completing lower secondary and passing the BEPC. Students that plan to attend University must complete upper secondary and receive their Baccalauréat before matriculating. | 7 – 9 | 12 – 15 | Junior high school national proficiency exam (BEPC) |
| Upper Secondary | Sub-divided into different sections that allow students to concentrate on a future major: A for the humanities, B for economics and law, C for exact sciences, D for biological sciences and pre-medicine | 10 – 12 | 16 – 18 | Baccalauréat |
| Scale 1 | Scale 2 | U.S. Equivalent | U.S. Numerical Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 – 20 | Très Bien | A | 98 |
| 14 – 16.99 | Bien | A | 95 |
| 12 – 13.99 | B+ | 88 | |
| 11 – 11.99 | Assez Bien | B | 85 |
| 10.5 – 10.99 | B- | 82 | |
| 10.10 – 10.49 | C+ | 78 | |
| 10 – 10.09 | Passable | C | 75 |
| 9 – 9.99 | C- | 72 | |
| 8 – 8.99 | D | 70 | |
| 0 – 7.99 | Ajourné | F | 69 |
Education Practice:
As of 2016 compulsory education in the Ivory Coast spans from ages 6-16 and utilizes a French education model. Courses are taught in French. Students that complete education through the 12th year earn the Baccalauréat, which is equivalent to 1-2 years in a U.S. University.
Education in the Ivory Coast is recovering from a long history of political and economic difficulty that began in the 1990s and going through the civil conflict of 2002. Expenditures in education decreased substantially from 36% of GDP in 1990 to only 4.3% in 2007.
While most students, especially those in urban areas, now complete primary school, the secondary school completion rate is only around 10%, with 25% of students reaching grade 10. As a result, over half of the adult population is considered illiterate and only two thirds of the adult population can read a simple sentence.
U.S. Educator Implications:
Most of the funding for education goes towards the country’s economic centers, such as the nation’s capital, leaving large disparities in the quality of education between urban and rural areas. Students from more rural areas in the North may therefore struggle in comparison to their urban peers from the South.
While the country has been working towards education reform since 2016, progress is slow, and the educational model is primarily still one of rote memorization and oral recitation. Teacher salaries are among the lowest among Sub-Saharan African countries, and many of those that enter teaching do so solely to avoid unemployment rather than for a passion for teaching.
Strategies for Transition
Resources:
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1139233.pdf
https://borgenproject.org/education-in-the-ivory-coast/
file:///C:/Users/Victor/Downloads/Education_for_All_within_Emerging_Context_Ivorian_.pdf
