Education System in Cape Verde
| Education | School/Level | Grade From | Grade To | Age From | Age To | Years | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | instrução primária (Primary Education) | 6 | Prior 1987 | |||||
| Primary | instrução primária (Primary Education) | 6 | After 1987 | |||||
| Middle | escola preparatória (Middle School) | 3 | Prior 1987 | |||||
| Secondary | three-year track (General Technical Education) | 3 | Prior 1987 | |||||
| Secondary | Pre-University Course | 2 | Prior 1987 | |||||
| Secondary | Secondary Education | 5 | After 1987 (Three-year general track followed by two-year pre-university preparation) | |||||
| Tertiary | No Tertiary Education | |||||||
| Tertiary | Tertiary |
Primary Education
Education takes something of a back-seat in the Cape Verde Islands to the west of the bulge of Africa. Despite government policy that 6 years of primary education is compulsory, the literacy rate is only 70%, and just half of primary school pupils study further.
Secondary Education
Although the curriculum of secondary education is nominally divided into 3 years of lower and 2 years of higher respectively, the academic curriculum is seamless and the differentiation relatively meaningless. Students who wish to apply to university, must complete both phases though. Others often leave after the first.
Vocational Education
Vocational training in the formal sector aims at closing strategic skill gaps as measured at national level. Several partnered initiatives with donor countries are focusing on tourism training though the tourism development corporation, in an effort to promote economic self-sustainability.
Tertiary Education
Most professionals on the Cape Verde Islands are college graduates with degrees from American and European universities. The local ones are the Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde (shown here) and the University of Cape Verde.
There are also several Institutes for engineering and maritime technology, and also nursing and teaching training.
Education is a matter of what society can afford and the economies of scale. In terms of this, the nation is unlikely to ever aspire to first world standards, and will continue to send its best children to study elsewhere.