Financing for equity in primary and secondary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to schools
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
In Côte d’Ivoire, the central government is the primary source of education funding across all public administrations. Between 2006 and 2014, local authorities (General Councils and Town Halls) executed at most 1% of total public education expenditure, funded through transfers from the central administration.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
In Côte d'Ivoire, local authorities play a limited and complementary role in education to that of the central government, which provides most funding and management of the education system. Local authorities do not receive intergovernmental transfers specifically earmarked for education; they receive general grants from the State, such as the General Decentralisation Grant (DGD) and the General Operating Grant (DGF), established by the law on the financial regime of local authorities. These non-earmarked resources can be used to finance certain local education expenses, particularly support for running schools, maintaining or rehabilitating school infrastructure, and partially covering costs related to COGES (local education management committees) or other educational support measures.
2. Education resources to schools
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 organized 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.
In 2020, the Council of Ministers adopted Decree No. 202-997, ending the authority of public-school management committees (COGES) to impose exceptional levies. The decree places the responsibility on the State and local authorities to provide the necessary budgetary supplement for COGES, based on an annual assessment, following the abolition of these exceptional levies.
This budgetary supplement, an exceptional contribution from the State and local authorities, particularly covers ancillary costs related to pedagogical activities and student health, as well as emergency expenses in secondary schools.
Integration of Primary Islamic and Community Schools
From 2011 to 2014, SNIESIE targeted 325 eligible schools with an enrolment of 120,000 children (1.5% of the school-age population). The strategy’s cost for 2016–2025 is FCFA 31.545 billion (US$56 million), averaging US$6.2 million annually—representing 0.35% of total education expenditure—with 51% financed by the State and 49% by development partners.
The 2016–2025 Education Sector Plan aims to integrate primary Islamic and community schools into the formal education system by subsidising their teachers, thereby expanding educational opportunities—especially for out-of-school children. The National Strategy for the Integration of Children in Islamic Educational Structures (SNIESIE) targeted 325 schools declared eligible with an enrolment of 120,000 children from 2011 to 2014.
Infrastructure Support for Schools in Conflict-Affected Northern Border Areasv
To assist northern border areas affected by conflict, new primary classrooms were constructed by March 2023, and in 2022, schools in vulnerable regions received 13,000 desks. These efforts were part of broader education support programmes involving government collaboration with development partners and donors focused on improving educational infrastructure and conditions in conflict-affected zones.
Furthermore, the reform of secondary education includes a programme to build community middle schools. This initiative aims to reduce the distance students must travel to attend school and lower the incidence of pregnancies during schooling. This policy is designed to improve the academic success rates of children from impoverished rural areas in their secondary education.
3. Education resources to students and families
School Kits and Textbooks Distribution
Since 2011, the government has provided free school kits and textbooks annually to around 4 million primary students in public schools, supporting the compulsory education policy. In 2022, it launched the National Textbook Stock (BONAMAS), a textbook loan and rental programme for lower secondary students. BONAMAS is funded in part by the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement, AFD). Eligible beneficiaries are lower secondary students, particularly those in the 6th grade, enrolled in public and private institutions. The programme aims to reduce costs for families and improve access to essential textbooks through a systematic lending model managed by the Ministry of Education.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Family Allowances and Social Protection Programmes in Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire provides family allowances for public service workers with children. The Government’s Social Programme (PSGouv 2) encompasses various social protection initiatives. Launched in 2015 through a partnership between the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Cohesion and the Fight against Poverty and the World Bank, the Productive Social Safety Net aims to improve living conditions for poor families and enhance their access to basic services like education and health. The programme received additional funding in 2024.
5. School meal programmes
Started in 1989 with WFP support, the Programme intégré de pérennisation des cantines scolaires became a central department within the Ministry of Education in 2016. Subsidies and dry food rations are provided in disadvantaged areas, especially targeting rural communities in western and northern regions, to encourage school attendance, particularly for girls.
School canteens are part of the government's initiatives aimed at supporting the enrollment and retention of disadvantaged children in school. The implementation of this programme relies significantly on external support, particularly from the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF. Consequently, the school feeding service does not function throughout the entire academic year nor does it extend across the entire national territory.
This profile was reviewed by Goin BI Zamblé Théodore, Maître de Conferences.
