Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
The official entrance age for pre-primary education is 3 years. In 2024, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary education for both sexes was 10.17%.
Governance
The Ministry of National Education and Literacy (MENA) is the primary agency responsible for funding and overseeing public preschool education.
Tuition-free status
Public pre-primary education is tuition-free, with inscriptions in public establishments declared totally gratuites for the 2025-2026 school year, covering petite, moyenne, and grande sections (ages 3-5) nationwide.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The central government allocates subsidies to Public School Management Committees (Comités de Gestion des Établissements Scolaires Publics – COGES), established by Decree No. 95‐26 of January 20, 1995, to support school maintenance, promote civic and moral development, establish canteens, encourage children’s—especially girls’—schooling, and manage non-state financial resources. Committees are organised by district, with each receiving equal amounts. The National Education Accounts (Comptes nationaux de l’éducation) detail these transfers from the central to local governments.
2. Education resources to institutions
The Développement Décentralisé Participatif (Participatory Decentralised Development) is a programme executed between MENA and private actors, such as the Partenariat Mondial pour l’Éducation (PME), to construct pre-primary centres. This approach empowers the beneficiaries of rural communities by transferring resources for constructing or rehabilitating classrooms as part of a training-action process.
The 1974 and 1998 agreements impose obligations on the State to provide subsidies to private developers, contingent on efficiency and effectiveness. These subsidies are primarily meant to cover equipment costs within available funds. The 2016-25 Education and Training Sector Plan states that private education largely depends on state subsidies. The state offers a subsidy per child in approved private preschools, both religious and secular. Excessively high tuition fees deny schools their right to certain subsidies under the Agreement of December 1998, between the State and private religious schools. The Private School Support Service (SAPEP) is responsible for preparing and monitoring payment schedules for government contributions to private school operators.
3. Education resources to students and families
No financial support mechanisms for pre-primary education has been identified.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
The Ministry of Women, Family, and Children (MFFE) runs a programme that provides school kits to children, adolescents, and five partner NGOs involved in child protection. This action is part of a broad programme aimed at combating the phenomenon of street children and promoting their protection and social reintegration.
This profile was reviewed by GOIN BI Zamblé Théodore, Maître de Conferences.
