RESTRICTED -jOv T P Report No. AW-27a This report is for official use only by the Bank Group and specifically authorized organizations or persons. It may not be published, quoted or cited without Bank Group authorization. The Bank Group does not accept responSibility for the accuracy or completeness of the report. INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION r-TE C NT E1C NOMIC SITUATION .L NU -~jX * I~ - - 1 AND PROSPECTS OF MAURITANIA (in four volumes) VOLUME IV EDUCATION August 5, 1971 Western Africa Department CUR!RENCY EQUIVALENTS Currency Unit: CFA Franc (CFAF) Before August 11, 1969: US $ 1.00 = CFAF 246.85 CFAF 1,000 - US $ h.05 After August 11, 1969: US $ 1.00 : CFAF 277.71 CFAF 1,000 : US $ 3.60 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES 1 Metric Ton (t) 2,205 lbs 1 Kilogram (kg) 2.2 lbs 1 Kilometer (km) 0.62 mile 1 Meter (m) 3.28 feet COMPOSITION OF MISSION This report is based on the findings of a mission which visited Mauritania in March-April 1970. The mission comprised the following members: Heinz B. Bachmann Chief of Mission Carlos Merayo General Economist Mohamed Moghazi Agricultural Economist Dr. M. Lacroute (consultant) Livestock Expert Dr. R. Moal (consultant) Fisheries Expert Remi van Waeyenberghe (consultant-UNESCO) Education Expert This volume was prepared by Remi van Waeyenberghe (consultant-UNESCO). TARTV nvF rNTRNTq Paae No. S'UWIasARr &77 1 MIst tT1ITTrthTO ounnhiAi nIxlAIN . . U.U.u . ... . . PART u I..n''dO'MP CTTITAVTN OF THE EDTCATTON SYSTEM I A 1 10L@. UVCLMDA J -'unk *"an 1** * * * * * * * * * 1 UDeVULUpmleLunt ing te past 10 yeas w. 2 2. The educational pyramid, present output, ana requirements u£ tra . a 4nsA ue 1 3. The cost of education of the classical kmouern type ................................. 4 4. Conclusions ............................ 5 B. The Situation in Primary Education .......... 5 1. Organizing bodies and structure ........ 5 L. Effective duration of primary uucation 7 3. Languages of instruction ..................... 7 4. Physical equipment and teaching staff 8 5. Cost of primary instruction and its efficiency 9 C. The Situation in Secondary Education ........ 10 1. Structure . ...............***......... 10 2. Enrollment and capacity ................ 11 3. Output and cost of secondary education.. 11 4. Personnel ......................... D. Technical Training Courses .................. 1. Local training resources .................. 2. Training abroad .............................. 14 3. Teacher training and conclusions ....... * PART 11: PROSPECTS 17 A. Education Goals of the 1970/73 Plan ......... 17 1. Quantitative goals ....................... .17 2. Qualitative goals ................* *........ 19 3. Need for technical and specialized staff 19 4. Proposed investments: their financing and technical assistance ............. 20 Table of Contents (Cont'd) Page No. B. The Problems to be Solved .................. 22 1. The shortage of middle and high-level manpower and the cost of classical education ..........................23 2. Choice of language of instruction ...... 3. Vocational training of workers and lower-level manpower.............. .2 4. Education of the nomadic and rural populations .............................. C. The Means of Action Required: Basic Research 33 ANNEXES I Growth of primary school population II Growth of secondary school population III Growth of the national budget and appropriations for education IV Additional requirements of medium and high-level manpower in the public sector between 1970 and 1973 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS i. Ten years after independence, the modern education system covers only 28,000 pupils in primary schools, 3,000 in secondary schools and 600 receiving vocational training or less than 15% of the population of school age. Thus, primary schools contribute very little to the battle against illiteracy, and the eight existing secondary schools will supply less than half the trained manpower the country will require between 1970 and 1973 and despite its very modest scale, education is already absorbing 20% of the current budget. The high cost of education makes it financially impossible to increase school enrollments rapidly. This is the result of the conjunction of several particularly unfavorable factors: nomadic life style of 70% of the population, widely scattered settlement patterns among the farmers, and absence of large towns, to which must be added the effects of the present system of bilingual instruction in primary schools. ii. As long as almost three-fourths of the population of school age are living a nomadic life, the modern system of education can contribute very little to the development of human resources; on the other hand, if the number of students receiving secondary education is not increased, the country will not have the trained manpower needed for its development. The problems of education should therefore be attacked along two parallel paths: while means should be found to expand the classical system of education through a reduction of the high costs so that it will produce the trained manpower the country urgently requires, new educational methods must be elaborated to develop the human resources of nomadic and farming populations. iii. In order to reduce the shortage of trained manpower the 1970-73 Plan envisages a program (for which Bank assistance has been requested) of construction and equipment of seven supplementary "colleges" outside the capital. Technical Assistance programs, both bilateral and international, will for the time being continue to provide "substitute personnel" in the secondary schools, but future action should be directed more to train local instructors and specialists, as is envisaged in the FAC project for a second- ary teacher-training college. The malor users of manpower, such as the mining and fish processing firms, should become responsible for the special- ised training of the technicians they require. while middle-level staff for the public services and all high-level manpower would continue to be trained in regional institutes located in neighboring countries or in Europe. iv. The Plan does not touch on the education needs of the rural masses. both nomadic and sedentary, which is the crucial problem for Mauritania as the reform of the education system will be successful only insofar as the future primary schools are a reflection of the society to which they help to give admission, which implies a narallel education effort at the family - ii - level. Different from the situation you find in modern education the paths to be followed in the education of the nomad and peasant masses and the structures to be set up for this purpose have not yet been defined and remain to be worked out in detail. Consequently, before carrying out any projects, detailed research is required to find solutions adapted to the life styles of these two types of rural population, which necessitates the setting up of services for applied research and studies in education. Unless it has a better knowledge of the situation, including the various cost fac- tors, demand for education in various regions, and manpower needs by level and field, the Government cannot select realistic solutions in this field. The research service should be able to provide it with background informa- tion on these questions before the decisions are taken. v. It is evident that this research should be undertaken primarily by Mauritanian experts with the help of some foreign technical assistants. Consequently, training of local specialists in planning implementation of education programs has to be given high priority. This need has not been clearly recognized to date, neither in the Plan nor in other studies deal- ing with education in Mauritania. It is, however, evident that the country cannot reorganize its educational system without a competent "general staff" of inspectors, counsellors, planners and researchers who will adapt existing techniques to national needs. vi. The problems of providing education for the nomadic population and the scattered farmers are not peculiar to Mauritania; they are, however, found here with textbook clarity and on a very small scale, making them much easier to apprehend. If solutions can be found, these will be applicable in numerous countries where at least part of the population lives under similar conditions, both in the Saharan countries from the Atlantic Coast to the Persian Gulf, and in countries where agriculture is organized on an artis- anal basis. What are involved here are therefore fundamental problems which would warrant basic research carried out with all the necessary scientific safeguards. PART I: PRESENT SITUATION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM A. OVERALL SITUATION 1. One million inhabitants scattered over a million square kilometers of desert: this is the central fact from which education problems in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania stem. The extreme dispersion of population exolains and accounts for the very low rate of school enrollment and the slow pace at which the modern education system is being expanded. 2. Mauritania offers a textbook example of all the education problems fnrino, nnqnra1 Saharan AocAptiA: (n) only ahott 160-000 of itR inhabitants are town dwelleri.- most of them living in small towns of less than 10,000 people; (b) some 165,000 are settled farmers; they are scattered throughout the anothern nart nf the cnunt-ry salenc, the oneon1 River nnd live in small groups on the land they till; (c) some 125,000 are full fledged nomads, "sons of the clouds"; they, are nerpetually on the mova in the deQrt expanes nf northern Mauritania and neighboring countries; (d) almost 700,000 of its inhabitants are nomads practising t-rans .-Mm.anfUce, utlike .-~I nom.,adso -S *.SJ wh a & lso..t move in search of pasture, they follow regular annual routes and L. LLL tleirL tentsO for fairly 'lon pel -s at a time, aroun certain wells. 3. This dispersion is reflected in school enrollment figures: (a) 15% of the children of school age live in towns and can thereoe 'De reaA41ly reachedA Ay schools* /L1 1C/ L - CL J .. U L- - C a ., y camL14o. U h7 w O'flj .1A m n de l m n a \v~ AJ/o arC -in scueuLaLy faii7es; LhCy L Ac.eive ClCmentary education if one-class schools with a single teacher were openedC ±1n tLIe sma&4I±I vill.ages; \c I V/ UL LllC _.H LUL CH UM ALLA.UJ L - L LULDUC LIIC I AULLUA reach of schools. The present situation confirms these findings: for the country as a whole, school enrollment is less than 15%, and 3/4 of the existing primary schools offer an incomplete curriculum (one, two or three grades only). -2- 4. Unaer these very special conuitions , it is physically imposuble to contemplate any major increase in school enrollment as long as the children of nomads remain beyond reach and te country LM UnaJLe LU LU.1. teachers able to educate, in compact groups of 25 to 30 pupils, all the children aged between 7 and 12 or 13 of the families of sedentary farmers. . The impact of the dispersion of the population on any progress in school enrollments has been emphasized in all the previous reports, but none of them seems to have taken it sufficiently into account in selecting remed- ial action or making recommendations: all the reports advocate regrouping without considering the extent to which this is possible and without analyz- ing the financial and social consequences of setting up boarding schools at the elementary level. It is indeed evident that secondary education cannot have an adequate supply of well-trained pupils as long as primary schools cover only 15% of the population of school age and half of those who enroll have to drop out halfway because there is no complete primary school near their homes. Finally, the question must be asked how the primary schools can play their appointed role as the driving force behind development if they concentrate entirely on preparing children for secondary education, a level that 3/1. of them will never reach. 6. Three fundamental problems have to be dealt with: (i) how can schools reach the 70% of the children of school age belonging to the families of nomads; (ii) how can a complete elementary education be provided to the children of sedentary farmers scattered throughout the arable area; (iii) how can the classical (modern) school be adapted to the education needs of the 75% of the children who will not go on to secondary schools. 1. Developments during the past 10 years 7. Mauritania has presently 262 primary schools with 28,000 pupils, 5 secondary schools (colleges) offering the first cycle only and 3 high schools (lycees) offering the full secondary course, with a joint total of 3,000 students, while some 600 are enrolled in six vocational or technical training centers. This infrastructure is very "light" and is manifestly inadequate for the needs of one million people. 8. As in the other Saharan countries and for the same reasons, schooling has started late and is making only slow progress. In 1951, the country had only 2,600 pupils in primary schools of the modern type; this number had increased fourfold by 1961 (11,300) and tenfold by 1968 (26,200). Children receivine a traditional Koranic education have never been counted. In absolute terms, the results obtained are spectacular; in relative terms, howver_ thev are much more modest with an increase of 1.400 pupils -3- nch year rince 1951; average annual increase in school population is lower than the increase in school age population. 9. At the secondary level, enrollment has risen from 528 in 1960/61 to 2,663 in 1968/69. There has thus been a fivefold increase over the past eight years, but average annual growth has been only 267 pupils. Some 900 students are at present receiving specialized training, 600 of them in local schools, whereas in 1962 only 200 Mauritanians were receiving such training in neighboring countries and in France. 10. The education system as a whole can thus be said to have made steady, albeit slow progress. Development is hindered at the base by the nomadic mode of life of more than 70% of the population, preventing an expansion of elementary education, without which secondary education and technical training cannot develop in turn. 2. The education pyramid, present output and requirements of trained personnel 11. As it appears in 1970, the education system is not yet in balance: for every 100 pupils in primary schools, there are 10 in secondary schools and 1.4 receiving higher education. Schooling of girls started even later than that of boys, and girls at present represent only 9% of secondary school enrollment and 28% of primary enrollment. Specialized training is now being organized., and local schools are already catering for 2/3 of the total enrollment, but the country remains dependent on other countries for higher education. 12. In 1968: - of almost, 3,300 pupils enrolled in the final class of primary schools, some 700 emerged with the Certificat d'Etudes Primaires (CEP -- Certificate of Primary Studies); - the first cycle of secondary education awarded 167 Brevets d'Etudes de Premier Cycle (BEPC -- Diploma of First Cycle Studies); - the second cycle produced 14 Mauritanian "hacheliers", 8 in literary subjects and 6 in scientific subjects. (In 1969, there were 27 local "bacheliers", 9 literary and 18 scientific); - the technical "college" and the technical "lycee" will produce their first graduates in 1970. 13. A number of manpower studies have been carried out since 1963 and were updated during the preparation of the 1970-73 Development Plan. A rapid survey of these reports shows that in 1967 some 2,500 foreigners were still occupying positions as professionals (250), supervisors (1,000), skilled workers (300), specialized workers or assistants (750), and even laborers (200). The 1970-73 Plan foresees the creation of 500 to 600 middle and higher level jobs over the next four years. In other words, the minimum short-term needs to ensure Mauritanization of higher echelon staff plus the requirements of expansion would be in the order of 1,500 to 2,000 jobs requiring a secondary education diploma, while at present only 500 to 600 such people are being trained. Despite their lack of precision, all estimates of future needs lead to one and the same conclusion: the present school system will supply roughly one-half of the trained manpower needed through 1975, and Mauritanization of the upper echelons will have to be delayed. For the time being, therefore, there would seem to be little point in trying to establish the exact size of this shortfall; in both the short and the medium term, there will be no risk of any overproduction of skilled personnel. 3. Cost of education of the modern type 14. The school system is not producing many graduates yet, but is very expensive: the most recent estimates show that current expenses alone amount to CFAF 35,000 per pupil per year for primary schools, CFAF 110,000 for general secondary education, and CFAF 150,000 for technical training. These figures do not take account of the sums spent on pupils who drop out or are eliminated, or of depreciation on outlays for construction of class- rooms and equipment, and assume that pupils who graduate have never repeated, i.e. underestimate the true costs by more than one-half. As a result, it can be estimated that the State at present invests: - approximately CFAF 500,000 into each person gaining a primary school certificate (6 years); - approximately CFAF 1,200,000 to produce a first-cycle graduate (6 plus 4 years); - approximately CFAF 2,000,000 per "bachelier" (6 plus 7 years); - approximately CFAF 1,500,000 to train a skilled worker (6 plus 4 years) and more than CFAF 2 million to produce a technician. It is obvious that the education system cannot be exnanded tnl.A costs are cut drastically. -5- 4. Conclusions 15. Following this overall survey, five major points emerge: (1) nomadic life-style of more than 70% of the population, nasne of'4 la- ura cente' '"'rs and dispersion ofth settled population represent almost insurmountable a- n-fa.sAy an Js u &Iu uuLcation py aa cu pdes adequate recruitment for secondary education, in terms of oLa.I unusuct uJ pupAAL ,LuUULin LLUHI HE LLL.L YCOUIURLf cycle is inadequate to ensure proper recruitment for ~ flLA~IL ~ L L ~±L1L~, CLL~15, 4LIU I-LIU LLULIUCL of "bacheliers" is still inadequate for higher level the cou t oUL eA uucalnU i such tHat THe Lt- s current budget could only with great difficulty cover the outlays ta woul! resuit from a rapid expansion of the school system; (5) nonetheless, the most conservative estimate of the country's requirements of middle and higher echelon manpower show that the current output of the school system will be inadequate to meet mediLum-term needs. B. THE SITUATION IN PRIMARY EDUCATION 1. Organization and structure 16. Modern public education is organized by the State, which nays teachers' salaries, supplies schools with equipment and generally also distributes textbooks and clanronm aunnlipa- The onmmunmtipQ (rvinnn1 and local authorities) are responsible for construction and maintenance of classrooms and housine. but the State also hnrs some of these epnso 17. Private dlunation iq of three rvnpa: (a) An unknown number of taohero aiva insz-riirtinn in t-ho ]oran at the primary level. They are scattered throughout the Pntirp r-nuintry and are aipnnrred hv tahe narants ov the tr4-hAn Some of these Koranic schools are recognized and receive subhsidian8 from the Stae; they have not yet been properly surveyed. - 6 - (b) The "BEN AMER" private schools are run by an organization of the same name; they have Just been set up in a number of centers and have 45 schools with 85 classes. The Koran is taught in Arabic.- together with basic subJects and French. (c) MTFERMA* has set un two orivate schools at Nouadhibou and Zouerate, which are attended by the children of Company personnel and are sunnorted by the Company. 18 To dant- nrimqry QrhoM offer a 5ix-vear course. but the addition of a seventh year is envisaged in the Law of June 11, 1968, together with oranIzatIon in twn rvcla- an of five yuarq and the other of two years. At the end of the first cycle, the youngest and most talented pupils will receive two varQ add1tinn1 oeneral dnration. while the others will be channeled toward rural training centers, where for two years they will receva instructin orie4ntd t-oward th ecnomricr actiities of their region, and at the end of the period will receive a Certificat d'Etudes Rurales(CrIcaeoRuaStds) 19. Puils41 compler,1ting, t-he sec,ond primary cycrle w.ill he eligible for a Certificate of Primary Studies and will be qualified to sit the entrance exmnto for,, seodr edctin they~ will the,~n be guided tow~ard general or technical secondary studies, or to vocational training centers, depending onLf &LLe num,.ber. of pl.aces avaial in-ec esa .ihent. Pr .imar y LSchlOrg S.~ani-_ n. /6/ - /7/ To secondary education /1/ - /2/ - L/ - /4/ - /5/ - Rural training centers /6/ - /7/ To active life 20. This structural reform started in October 1968 with the introduc- tion of a one-year preparatory course for Arabic for pupils entering primary school. The second, differentiated cycle has not yet started; time is needed to study how to set up and equip the rural centers, determine the syllabus, and train the necessary teachers. The Law is therefore more a declaration of intent than a program for implementation, and this implementa- tion threatens to be delayed because the structure of the existing schools does not lend itself readily to a conversion of this sort. *MIFERMA: Societe des Mines de Fer de Mauritanie. -7 - * V v I W"u DAUL V=y=U Lo 17U / U7 I4V IuLU UHIy one ciLass, two, 27 three, 12 four and only 51 had five, six or more classes. In other woru AS lessthan "utof e L existing SchUUls oLfer a complete curriculum, and would be able to provide the differentiated courses envisaged for the second cycle o1 primary euucation; even then, however, they would need enough pupils reaching this level. Only 82 of the 269 schools offer a final (ixth) year of the primary cycle; even supposing that the 82 schools attract sufficient pupils, less than 1/3 of the total school enrollment will benefit from this new structure. In the final analysis, it would seem highly advisable to study again how to implement a reform of this magnitude, Lor the present Situation or the existing schools is tar trom suitable for this change. 2. Effective duration of primary education 22. The school year starts on October 1 and finishes June 30, but term vacations, organizational ditticulties, examinations and absences reduce its effective duration to less than 30 weeks. After allowing for the time lost through play periods, and entering and leaving classrooms, the useful time spent in class can be estimated at approximately 25 hour3 per week. For a cycle with a theoretical duration of 6 years, the time available is therefore roughly 25 hours x 30 weeks x 6 years - 4,500 hours; if the duration is raised to 7 years, this figure becomes 5,250 hours. 23. By way of comparison, the non-selective school systems in Europe have 6 years of 40 weeks of 25 hours effective attendance, giving a total of approximately 6,000 hours, for primary education. This education is given in one language only, the child's mother tongue, by qualified teachers of high school graduate level. This comparison highlights the significance of the choices made by the Mauritanian authorities regarding bilingualism and language of instruction: with a shorter useful attendance period, less qualified teachers and a culturally poorer family background, is it realistic to make bilingualism general? 3. Languages of instruction 24. Primary instruction is bilingual, with French predominating, but the new measures will increase the hours devoted to Arabic. The question must be raised whether these measures will be efficient, as they do not correspond with the psychological stages of mental development in children. In any event, the experiment started by the Mauritanian authorities is unique. It is the first experiment ever with "sandwich" bilingualism in primary schools. Since October 1968, pupils have been given a year's mono- lingual introduction in Arabic, followed by a year's introduction with French predominating (20 hours out of 30), and thereafter they will receive bi- lingual instruction made up of 23 hours in French and 7 hours in Arabic. - 8 - 25. As explained in more detail in Chapter B.2 of the second part of this report, it is doubtful whether this system can produce good results. In addition, it is also extremely expensive because it requires two teachers per group of pupils in single-class schools. A control experiment ought to be carried out in conjunction with the implementation of these measures, and it would be desirable to analyze the experience gained so far with bilin- gualism in other Arab countries, all of which have adopted less expensive solutions. 4. Physical equipment and teaching staff 26. Of the 663 classes surveyed in 1968/69: - 29 were in tents; - 59 were in straw huts; - 32 were in sheds; - 8 were in shelters of other sorts; - 151 were built of local materials (mud); - 61 were built of local materials (mud) mixed with stone; - 323 were built of concrete. In other words, 128 classrooms, or 19% of the total, were not built of durable materials, and 535, or 81%, were protected by walls, while 212, or 32%, of the latter were made of local materials. 27. The inspectors consider the equipment to be incomplete or unsuitable in almost one-half of the larger schools and in practically all of the small isolated schools. In addition, all authorities have pointed out the shortage of textbooks suitable for the country. 28. In 1968, 969 teachers were employed in the 663 classes of public edncation. reoresenting 1.4 teacher per class or 1 teacher for every 27 pupils, one of the lowest averages in Africa. Of this total, 519 taught in French (53.5%) and 450 in Arabic (46.5%). This distribution does not correspond to the distribution of the timetable, which calls for 66% of the lcon ton he given in PrPnch and 33% in Arabic: from this we must conclude that the Arabic teachers are not used full time. The 969 classroom teachers can be divided into four categories, denending on their qualifications: - 184 "inst-tteurs" (certificated teachers) -- 19%: - 306 "instituteurs-adjoints" (assistant certificated ranrhArrn -- 31.5%: - 344 "moniteurs" (instructors) -- 35.5%; i 1C3 tor . - i zrirtsr.) TIs breakdown thus shows 50%. qualified staff and 50%71 un cer t if- icated instructors. - 9 - 5. Cost of primary instruction and its efficiency 29. All previous studies have stressed the high cost of schooling in Mauritania. which ig among the hiahpmt in AfrrinA Tf uVnVn ^n- - expenses (staff and supplies) borne by the State, we find that cost per nunil-vpar hna hppn riaing continualu from CFAP 16,00) In loA9 to CFAF 24,000 in 1967; for 1969/70 the Plan envisages spendings of CFAF 964,080,000 fnr 7A SOn ..... 41c, -1.p. ('PAP 1r, 00r)--41 T#. 4.s e .-A...ent that.. .-LKJZ- C01st precludes any substantial increase in elementary school enrollments. An exhau-1-4- -nlsI f the cost factors Inv~olved i-ugntyrqurd- identify the cost items which should be pared. 30. Prior to 1967, statistics did not indicate the number of repeaters, and since then inclusion of an introductory class in A rabic has Modified class progression, making it still impossible to calculate wastage correctly. u taawaIc We LLU U ULWCC[I IV allU 4J/o LeJ1eULtU! MU (IUUULt! repeaters; their numbers are low in early years but in the final year they ?sMor vtL LtJ. X cutuLLmet. 11 1uiUL UL ULUIUUL- eCuuG LTOn 1967/68 to 1968/69 was in the order of 1,000, almost 800 of these between usconU d fourth year, from which must be assumed that these pupils have derived no benefit whatsoever from attending school. Of the 3,291 pupils enrolled in the final class of primary education in 1967/68: - 691 were admitted to secondary education, 67 of these to the teacher training college (cycle A); - ,u500 repeated the final year in 1968/69; - 1,091 left school. 31. The present output of primary schools can therefore be estimated at: - 1,000 pupils (36%) who leave before acquiring an elementary education; - approximately 700 pupils (25%) who proceed to secondary education; - approximately 1,100 pupils (39%) who enter active life, after reaching the end of the primary curriculum, so that one may well ask whether their education has been adequate. In consequence, primary schools can be considered largely as a preparation for secondary education. It should be noted that, for a few years to come, a certain number of pupils should be able to obtain lesser lobs in the public and private sector on the strength of a Certificate of Primary Studies, but this market is becoming very uncertain. - 10 - C. THE SITUATION IN SECONDARY EDUCATION 1. Structure 32. Public secondary education is provided in: (a) three "lyc6es" (high school): Nouakchott boys, Nouakchott girls, and Rosso; (b) five "colleges" (secondary schools): Aioun. Atar. Boshe. Kaedi, and Kiffa; 1' (c) an Institute of Higher Islamic Studies (IHEI) at Boutilimitt; (d) two private schools (MIFERMA) at Nouadhibou and Zouerate, with 70 pupils, 68 of them foreigners. Secondary education is given in two cycles: - a first cycle. of four years. which prenares punils for the Brevet d'Etudes du Premier Cycle (BEPC); - a second cycle of three years, which prepares candidates for the French "baccalaurpat"_ orQnnizPH nnd QnnerviQPd by the Dakar Office. The "colleges" provide only first-cycle instruction; the "lycees" orovide instruction in hth rvelpR- Thp Talnmin Tnat4-int,, W411 abovely ). providing a complete secondary education in Arabic based on its own curri- cula. Punils are admirred ro serondary Aducation on he basis of a compe- itive examination and the availabilty of places; pupils who have completed nrimaqry Ptliin tinn nro olirihlim t-n nnl,r r -*_j ___ ~ - o r -r-. 33. ~ At the end of the fI y, pupIl ar guIded- , on the basis of their aptitudes and the places available, to either the second secondary cycle or the second technical cycle. The rem.aining pupils enter active life or specialized training centers. Three choices are available in the second seconday cycle phlosophly and . ltrs mahatL~ial an'LL phLysical scJinces and experimental sciences (Sections A, C and D of the French "baccalaureat"). Tablesouto anu cuAriula u tAIe SC-COnUary SCu1uS are LIe same as n rrenCn secondary schools, except that they have been adapted to allow considerable room for thae teaching UC ALiAL* a hUUL peL Wee kUL LU LLrst two years, 5 hours per week for the two following years and 4 hours per week in the seconu ycle. Curricui for istory, geography and natural sciences have also been adapted. 1/ An additional "college" was opened at Nema in autumn 1970. - 11 - 2. Enrollment and capacity 34. In 1962/63, 941 pupils were receiving secondary education (including 57 girls), oULy 8 1k Lftee in he secdUU cycle. LI 19oo/69 there were 2,663 students, 2,538 of them Mauritanians and 184 of them girls. t%1 t1_ I - - e n 1 n 1An w % ---- -- -_ - I - f.^ N . .I u1 Lu1s Lotal, ,33u koo/.) were in tne tirst cycle and 313 k14/.) in tne second. According to provisional figures, 3,008 pupils are enrolled in secondary schools in 1969/70. Over the past seven years, therefore, enroll- ment has risen by an average of about 300 pupils a year. The number of foreigners is small and they are concentrated in the capital, while the number of girls is rising only slowly. Almost 90% of secondary school pupils receive a State scholarship, 3/4 for boarding school (CFA 42,500), and 12% as day pupils (CFAF 30,000). 35. Two schools have reached their optimum size: the "lycee" for 'boys at Nouakchott, with 806 pupils in 1968/69, and the "lycee" in Rosso with an enrollment of 650. The "lycee" for the girls has only 169 pupils and the Islamic institute 171, while the tour "colleges" each have between 200 and 242 pupils in 4-6 classes. All of these schools have boarding sections, which account for 90% of enrollment. 36. At present, the schools are being used to full capacity, and the average number of pupils per class ranges between 31 and 40. Since 1961, the "lycees" and "colleges" have absorbed an extra 1,500 pupils, with an addition of only 38 new classrooms, and the time now seems to have come: (a) to reduce the size of classes in the Kaedi and Aioun "colleges"; (b) to use the Nouakchott "lycee" exclusively as a second-cycle institute; (c) to expand the existing "colleges" in rural areas or to set up new ones in those areas. 3. Output and cost of secondary education 37. The number of repeaters is low: 202 out of an enrollment of 2,168 (9.3%) in 1967/68, and 289 out of 2,663, (10.8%) in 1968/69. First- cycle dropouts are rare: some 45 pupils are reported to have abandoned their studies between 1967/68 and 1968/69; 56 pupils, however, are reported to have dropped out during the second cycle: 42 between the fifth and sixth year and 14 between the sixth and the final year. At this level, these losses are sizeable:: 56 out of an enrollment of 195 represents more than 28%. 38. At the conclusion of the first cycle, 186 pupils are reported to have left secondary school, either to enter the technical "lycee" (25) or - 12 - to go abroad, or to enter active life. At the conclusion of the second cycle, the output of Mauritanian "bacheliers" was 14 in 1967 and 27 in 1968 (9 in literary and 18 in scientific subjects). In the light of present enrollment, approximately 150 pupils can be expected to leave the first cycle and 75 to 100 the second cycle between 1970 and 1973. 39. A very cursory estimate of current expenses alone, disregarding overhead, special services, etc., showed that the cost per pupil-year is more than CFAF 110,000. Since the procedure employed to estimate costs is scarcely acceptable, an exhaustive analysis of the true costs ought to be undertaken as a matter of urgency. Nevertheless, these estimates are accurate enough to show the need to review present arrangements: the State cannot contemplate expanding secondary education unless the present cost per pupil-year is reduced. 4. Personnel 40. In 1968/69, 390 people were employed in public secondary education: - 41 administrative personnel, all Mauritanians; - 119 teachers, 46 of them Mauritanians, 59 French and 14 other nationalities; - 63 proctors ("surveillants"); - 167 maintenance and service personnel. Excluding the last two categories, we find that MauritanIzation has reached 54%, with 87 out of 160 teaching and specialist staff being nationals. 41. Among the teaching staff, only 5 are below "baanaurtnt" Ipulv and 27 with primary school teacher qualifications ("instituteurs"),teachers of College d'Enseinement General (GenPrn1 Spenndary Schnol) lovI nnd physical education teachers; all others have received a university or other hivhpr Pchirq1-ion- As regardsc mnilifirnfie-wma thPrPfnra- t-h,. cjfiintinn is satisfactory, but most local staff is in the lower categories. 42. Bilateral technical assistance is granted to all institutes of secondary ndAnn;iit- ics~~- ~. v 4-nm ,1- f 4- an Rosso ~.A (80% and 75%, respectively) while in the "colleges" in the interior foreign staf area mnorfiy (40%). Itol be-fntrest4n to know what -u,4ects the foreign staff members teach, so as to plan their replacement. The total teaching e f tio bclme t wea me, so a C o del edu c M-4-4atio .f- o encouraged to become teachers, so as to develop education of women. - 13 - 1. TECHNICAL TRAINING COUUKb 1. Local training resources 43. The country already has six training centers: (a) The "Mamadou Toure" Intensive Vocational Training Center in Nouadhibou trains young adults either illiterate or with some primary edtica- tion but who are at least 17 years of age, selected on the basis of aptitude tests. In a. single cycle of 9 months, it trains journeymen workers in eight different sections: plumbing, fishing, carpentry, automotive engineering, diesel engines, fitting, electricity, and bricklaying. Sections are added or discontinued depending on the requirements of the labor market. At present, 132 persons are being trained. Some of the teachers are supplied by France. (b) The Agricultural Training and Extension Center at Kaedi provides a three-year course (first two years with a uniform syllabus, followed by one year's specialization) for candidates who have passed the secondary education entrance examination or have completed one or two years of second- ary studies. It trains instructors ("moniteurs") or extension agents ("vulgarisateurs de base") for agriculture, middle-level staff for the Forestry and Water Resources Service, veterinary auxiliaries for the Live- stock Service, officials for the cooperative services and for basic rural extension work ("animation rurale"). Sections are added or discontinued depending on projected requirements of the relevant departments. Some of the teachers are supplied by FAO, with UNDP financing. (c) The School of Nursing, attached to Nouakchott Hospital, recruits trainees with a first-cycle secondary education (BEPC) to form "State Registered Male Nurses" and trainees with primary school certificates (CEP) to form "First Cycle Male Nurses". The courses last two years and students are recruited every other year. Seven first-category and 19 second-category students are currently in training. (d) The Nouakchott Technical "College", which was set up in 1967, takes nunils who have qualified for secondary education and have passed aptitude tests. During the first year they are initiated into manual skills, while thp secnnd year is devoted to preliminary vocational training in four basic sections: general engineering, automotive engineering, electricity, and sheet metals. The third year allows some specialization within each of the four sectors based on the pupils' own aptitudes and the needs of the lnhor -market: it brines trainees up to the level of skilled workers. A fourth year of specialized training is envisaged for the top 20% of pupils. It is ano intended to onen two additional sections in civil engineering to train equipment operators and site engineers for public works and mining. (e) The Nouakchott Technical "Lycee" was set up in 1967 to form punIlS who have cnmnleted the first ecyle of secondary education in a - 1/.- three-year course, middle-level technical manpower. The first year is devou t oUr uL a ton anu rtainin , Lle program Cax _t --e -IIX seconU yeaL Lb modeled on that of classes of the same level in France, which enables the "baccalaureat". In their third year, the remaining students receive train- iAu sLuLaIn LU LMI.L LUL LtIo Ditot Bevet U LUudes InUustlieles lEI -- Dlploma of Industrial Studies) in France. The technical "college" and the technical 1ycee will be producing their first graduates in June 1970; current en- rollment is 232 students. Teachers are provided under the Technical Assis- tance program. ki) Ine National School of Administration, located in Nouakchott, comprises three sections for the training of higher middle level, middle and lower echelon staff required for the various ministries, particularly Finance and Justice. Depending on the section, candidates are recruited on the basis of "licence" (university degree), "baccalaureat" (high school diploma) or "brevet" (intermediate diploma), by means of competitive exam- inations; the course lasts two years, including two months' practical work. The sections may be further subdivided, depending on needs. 2. Training Abroad 44. As indicated in the 1970-73 Development Plan, 243 middle echelon and 133 higher echelon staff are receiving training in 19 different countries in 1970; 69 in Senegal and 26 in other Black African countries; 74 in the United Arab Republic, 39 in Kuwait, and 48 in other Arab count- ries; 47 in France and 9 in other western European countries; 60 in the USSR and 4 in Yugoslavia. There is a marked grouping among those receiving advanced training: 31 in France, 43 at the University of Dakar, 35 in the United Arab Republic, 14 in Algeria and 10 in other countries, whereas the intermediate level students are more scattered: USSR 56, UAR 39, Kuwait 39, Senegal 26, France and Mali 16 each, Tunisia 15, Syria 10, nine other countries 26. 45. Students receiving higher education are reading the following subjects: Law, Economic and Commercial Sciences 39 Letters 27 Medicine 23 Mathematics, Sciences 30 Veterinary Medicine 5 Agronomy 7 Aviation 1 Administration 1 - 15 - 46. The middle echelon students can be grouped under the following hpandinesc: First Cycle qecnaryTeacher Trannnag 47 Engineering-Electricity 43 TLahoratory Work-Chemisatry--Geology 11 Journalism-Cinema-Translation 25 and Water Resources 30 Ariation-metorologw-Troann ntat in 21 Public Works-Architecture 20 Miscellaneous 20 47. The range of courses being followed illustrates the wide range i. %-ie county s teeu, anU tne sm all numver Lf l oiunL eah sLub vjecL. shows that it would be very difficult to train them in Mauritania. On the oterc hand, tase way In wicht hcoc men I~ve I---- _ - - -Ak a-u 1ac va_Sc-. L_11~z Ll a U. LJ1 way i WLIJ- L %_UCO LILCCL IL=V C JC LL CLLSUt %_1C =.VCLi.OSU CUL_Va of languages in which they receive instruction, together with the variety .L cuLatLUoLL LkeliALl Lste 1UDn te LILLhoCs Wcoun JrUL wilCmLo LCquir1C soUIe adaptation courses before they can enter active service. 3. Teacher training and conclusions 48. To date, only primary school teachers are trained at the Nouak- chott Teacher Training College, which until now has two training cycles; (a) Cycle A, with admission based on a competitive examination following the conclusion of primary education, which trains Instiruteurs-adjoints- (assistant certificated teachers) in four years; (b) Cycle B, with admission based on a competitive examination after the BEPC (end or the first secondary cycle), which trains "instituteurs" (certificated teachers) in three years. In addition, the Teacher Training College organizes refresher courses for teachers. In 1970, 286 students were enrolled, 200 in Cycle A and 86 in Cycle B; it is hoped that the assistant teachers trained in Cycle A will be bilingual, while Cycle B will have two sections, a French speaking and an Arabic speaking, as soon as Islamic institute produces students of second cycle level. 49. In the most important sectors (agriculture, public health, basic techniques, administration, and primary education) training of lower offic- iels exists already in Mauritania. For middle and higher echelon jobs, however, the numbers required do not Justify creation of separate schools - 16 - or sections to provide all the specialized training needed. There are, however, still no establishments training office staff (secretarial, accounting, and typing). Similarly, there are no openings for girls in technical schools except in the Health Service, where 7 girls are trained as first-cycle nurses. Most of the training centers have at least one section recruiting students at primary school level. The question must be raised whether this level of basic education is sufficient to cope with the heavy requirements of vocational training. All specialized sections have limited enrollments. 50. Outside the public school system, MIFERMA has organized vocational training for the lower level staff it requires. Like the Mamadou Toure Center, it recruits at large and trains semi-skilled workers in five months, two of which in practical training under supervision in a workshop. It also organizes training for promotion for skilled workers with the ability to rise to the rank of foremen, but after a successful first round (15 out of 20 successful) it is experiencing difficulties in finding workers with sufficient basic education to complete a training course of this level. Other industrial enterprises, now preparing to start operations, will also train some of the staff they need. It is evident that this solution is not without interest, provided in-service training can count on an adequate supply of well-educated candidates and is coordinated with the authorities responsible for the training of middle-level manpower. - 17 - PART II: PROSPECTS A. Education Goals of the 1970/73 Plan 51. As stated in its introduction, the 1970/73 Development Plan is a plan of intentions rather than of action, since many factors are still not properly understood and many preparatory studies still have to be made. The education part of the Plan contains a lucid and objective analysis of the situation which proves that the authorities are fully aware of the difficulties to be overcome during the next few years and have therefore set realistic goals: it is proposed to consolidate the results achieved, to restore quality, to seek quantitative expansion and to supplement the existing infrastructure in the light of known economic requirements and of the volume of domestic funds likely to be available. While the Plan sketches a general outline of the education policy, it remains to be decided how to put it into effect. In other words, real planning still remains to be done, and specialized services will have to be set up or expended for this purpose. 1. Quantitative Roals 52. Primary education. The plan anticipates an overall increase of 10,000 pupils in four years (36%, or 8% per annum), which means that 50 to 60 new schoolrooms will have to be built each year. This rate of growth has been almost reached already, since the introduction of a seventh year of nrimary school in 1968 has raised the overall number of pupils by about 2,500. This increase is large enough to ensure that the target is reached, even if the number of new puoils will not exceed the 1968 level. 51- The Plan foresees that the increasing number of pupils can be admitted without raising the number of teachers, since "we can use almost ?O lpsq tPntchPrn if ideal conditions ....... are oresent." This hypo- thesis is essentially based on a regrouping of existing schools and dis- annpearance of the sinple-class school. of which there are 140. (52% of total existing schools), which seems to be a very optimistic assumption. A more thoronah study of the actual nossibilities of such qrouping is urgently needed, since until more precise information is obtained it is impossible to astima the onerarting expenditur"R likely to be incurred in admitting these additional 10,000 pupils, such expenditures depending On the number of tea-herS to he naid (teachers' Salaries account for more than 80% of operating expenditures). This study should also look into the iorin ^ fhe mrnh amn ll A nnQnPR OPAR than 25 nunils). which the Plan proposes to group together or to abolish, though it does not indicate how this is to be achieved whwra trnnahumane in thp wav of life of 70% of the population. 54. Secondary education. The Plan intends to raise annual enroll- ment from 6001)-to 900. This wi.ll he Pos-ib-lo th-anks to the exprinsion of - 18 - existing schools and the opening of seven new colleges (with together about 40 classes), to be located in regional centers where the number of pupils in the last class of primary school. would be sufficient to ensure local recruitment, thereby reducing the need for boarding facilities and lessening social expenditures. This regionalization of the lower cycle of secondary education would require recruitment of about 60 Mauritanian teachers, 30 of whom are already being trained in secondary teacher training schools in Dakar and Tunis and also in the UAR. Thus total enrollment will rise from 2,663 in 1968/69 to 4,200 in 1972/73, with a consequent increase in operat- inR expenditures at secondary level of about 50% over the four-year period. 55. Each of the seven colleges will have four classes. one equipped for science teaching. They are designed to hold 100 to 150 pupils each. Even though it is not certain that schools of this type will be sufficiently productive, the principle of setting up cultural units in every region of the country cannot be criticized, since they meet a very real need. The necessary educational supervision of the staff of these colleges will undnbrod1v lead to dIfficulties. since distances are so great and trans- portation problems so acute that inspectors appointed at the national level would spend all their time on the tracks to make a few rapid and not very helpful visits. Thus, this problem ought to be studied thoroughly before a ostly oneration is started that is likely to be ineffective. 5A Tacher trainine and higher education. It is nronosed to reform the recruitment and teacher training systems and to establish an advanced rpnrher frninino schonl to train lower cycle secondary school teachers. 57 VnenrinnAl training. The Plan nrovides for exnansion of several existing institutions and creation of three new schools. Scheduled for evnansion are the technical cnllege (Addition of two civil engineerine sec- tions), the nursing school (doubling of present output), the Mamadou Toure Cnter (oenIng nf n serinn for chin's ranrenPPrQ)_ and the kandi Center (introduction of an upper cycle to train middle-level personnel for the nepartments nF Acrv4ni,-iiri 1.ivretanck And T?nrpatry- with recruitment at BEPC level). The new establishments will be a polytechnical center to train mddlAAleel staff for the n-nrtments of RuraI Encinpprin. Piihlir Works, Mining, etc., a commercial training center to meet the demand for bjookKeepers, secretaries and typists, and rural pre-trainingcner hc will supplement the education received at primary school and prepare students,~ wILo are~ notL co.nstnuing/ thi dcto. o iei hi w milieu. All these plans for new establishments have yet to be worked out in, detail. to stop using the specialized schools in neighboring countries, but it seems doubtful whether this center can function without a fall of quality in view of the limited need for each specialty. On the other hand, the demand for - 10 - commercial training is urgent and considerable; this could be locally satisfied. As to the rura.l pre ,tra_ning centers , theirnubr(R their enrollment capacity (30 pupils a year) and the time required for their establishment (10 years) are all factors which cast doubts on their usefulness. If it is intended to provide additional training for pupils who have completed Lhe 'uwer L e o pimary s o ad do nt wn t take the upper cycle, a thousand places will have to be available every year, and the specialized staff required "as not even be- trained yet- Experiments of this kind in other countries have proved discouraging and it would be wise to review the whole situation before undertaking such a project. 2. ualitative goals 59. The Plan stresses that qualitative improvement of primary educa- tion, already called for by the preceding Plan, carries high priority and requires: - a "reform or adaptation of teaching programs, to be entrusted to the national pedogogical center ... which has to be strengthened in any case"; - no further recruitment of unqualified teachers (moniteurs), and gradual elimination of this group; - training of bilingual teachers recruited at BEPC level; - priority for advanced teacher training. 60. At secondary level, the Plan proposes first a revision of the curricula for Arabic, history, geography, and natural sciences, and later for French curriculum, and also the organization of a system of educational supervision, designed chiefly to assist teachers working in schools in the interior. A new teacher training program, particularly for language teachers and for those who work in multiple-curricula schools, will improve the quality of teachers. 61. Where vocational training is concerned, the qualitative goals are less well-defined but all those who have looked into the matter emphasize the need to raise the requirements for recruitment and to organize advanced training courses, so that the country will no longer have to send its middle- level personnel to neighboring countries for training. The first requirement of such a policy is the availability of high-quality teaching staff. 3. Need for technical and specialized staff 62. The Plan contains a detailed breakdown of the number of middle- level and higher-level staff required in the public sector during the period -20 - 1970 to 1973. Although not more than an estimate, it is a good enough working basis for policy purposes. The Plan considers that it will be necessary: - to recruit 50 to 60 bacheliers for higher education; - to train about a hundred technicians, at baccalaureat level at least, about forty of whom could receive their training in Mauritanian schools; - to train 175 to 200 technicians, at BEPC level at least, about one hundred of whom could be trained in Mauritania; - to recruit about 150 specialized civil servants, trained in Mauritania at the level of the first cycle (a detailed estimate is given in Annex IV). This estimate is based on the known requirements of the public services alone, for the year 1970 through 1973, and presupposes that the investments needed to set up the necessary infrastructure for this per- sonnel will be obtained from foreign sources. 63. Taking account both of the staff being trained abroad and of the probable output of the school system during the period concerned, there is reason to expect that a quantitative balance between supply and demand will be achieved in the public sector. But pupils leaving secondary school will still have their technical training to complete, and for 50% of the staff we must therefore allow for a lag of two to six years between the time when they are needed and the time when they are finally available. It does not therefore seem that the estimated requirements for the different public sectors are likely to be met by the deadline, and we cannot contemplate rapid Mauritanization not to mention the increasing needs of the private sector. There will thus be no risk of an over-production of graduates from the lower and upper cycles of secondary school during the next few years. 4. Proposed investments, their financing, and technical assistance 64. The Plan proposes the following investments to help achieve its manntirtive ani antialitative goals: Primnry And econdarv schools: (a) Connaruction nf 900-250 additional primary classes, the first fifty of which will be financed out of the second FED loan, and replcement Of the Schan hpld in tents and straw huts. seeblimte-d tO convn threl ot-ntpes. The onreliminary studies seem limited to cover the short-term needs only; the whole sub- jec- should-.be reosd- 1..741-h 3 uifpw t-n nrnvidfng premises - 21 - more consistent with future requirements, and to regard the proposed structure (5 classrooms and one office) as just the first stage. This program has been submitted to the World Bank. (c) The need to build housing for teachers has been acknowledged but no policy decision has yet been taken on such project. The authorities must be asked to provide more details, since the Plan does not propose more than "... construction and furnishing of 29 housing units for teachers..." for a total of CFAF 120.5 million, at an average cost per unit of CFAF 4.155 million. The following is, very roughly, the cost of this program: In millions of CFAF Primary school buildings 520.0 Replacement of tents and straw huts 52.8 Secondary school buildings 437.3 Total 11010.1 while the additional annual operating cost is estimated at CFAF 225 million, a figure that is obviously far too low. 65. Vocational Training. The Plan does not mention the investment rpnired- but the action nroeram nrovides for the establishment of: - a training center for office staff (commercial trainine) - a female training center - rural nre-traininq centers. The only investments already studied are those to be provided by the French technical assistance program for expansion of the technical collee. The female trainine center will be established in Kaedi as an annex to the agricultural center, which is already receiving considerable aid from TINDP Offire staff could he trained either at the technical lvcee or at a center run by prospective employers or by the National School of Admlnintratrin All thee uentiuran will rnll fnr very little invemtment, ILO has studied a draft project for assistance from UNDP to establish rural nre-trainin centerot Tt ham alan aunnlied two exnprt. to develon earnet- weaving. 66. In line with their new development assistance policy, the French atfh2.4r- Fav i"r nno C%f tone-hpra" rnther thnn t-he enniniied nrnvi cion of replacement staff. With this in mind, they have agreed to finance the - 22 - secondary teacher training school and to supply the necessary instructors. This school will train about 380 lower-cycle secondary teachers over a ten- year period. 67. In addition to substantial technical assistance from France, of which mention has already been made, several UN special agencies are running smaller-scale education programs. UNICEF provides tellowships and technical and audio-visual equipment for the teacher training school and secondary schools, and also vehicles for the inspectors. Total aid supplied between July 1969 and June 1972 will amount to about US$179,000. The World Food Program twrp) provides tood products containing 75% of the calorie require- ments of boarders at secondary schools, about 100 tons of food a year. The costs of transportation to the interior and of storage, packing, preparation and distribution are charged to the national budget and will represent an expenditure of about CFAF 6 million under the 1970-74 program, with WFP contributing about CFAF 2.5 million. It is planned to extend this program to primary school cafeterias, but the dispersal of the schools, the small school staffs and the difficulties of internal transportation stand in the way of this proposal. UNESCO provides two experts and equipment; a spece- cialist helps introduce new techniques in general teaching programs (lower cycle), and another expert promotes the use of audio-visual aids. B. The Problems to be Solved 68. Analysis of the 1970-73 Development Plan reveals that there are two fundamental problems in the education sector in Mauritania, which have to be solved prior to any satisfactory development in this sector: (a) quantitative inadequacy of modern education which for a long time to come will be unable to satisfy the country's needs for medium and higher-level manpower; its development will be restrained by the excessive cost of education of this type; (b) almost total absence of an educational system or program for the nomadic and farming populations which could contribute to the development of this 80-90% of the population, without divorcing them from rural life. 69. While the problems of modern education are discussed in the Plan, but are far from being solved there, the second problem is not even men- tioned, and no action is envisaged in this sector. although in the long term it will be a key sector for Mauritania's development. Another problem is that of vocational training for workers and lower level manpower. The present chapter analyzes these three problems in greater detail. - 23 - 1. Shortage or midiae ana hign-leve. manpower ano tme cos. of classical education (a) The problem of higher-level manpower 70. The present system of education in Mauritania, which is based on the classical European system, slightly adapted for local conditions, is directed almost exclusively toward higher education and the production of high-level manpower. Its efficiency must therefore be judged in this 1Lght. It has already been mentioned that, although education of the classical type absorbs one-fifth of the Government's financial resources, the present school system produces barely half of the trained manpower the country re- quires for its development. While 150 students can be expected to emerge annually from the first cycle between 1970 and 1973 and 75 from the second cycle, no major increase in this output can be envisaged between 1974 and 1980. An increase in the number of admissions between 1970 and 1973 will not be felt at the end until 4 or 5 years later for the first cycle and 7 or 3 years later for the second cycle. All other conditions remaining the same, the expansion between 1970 and 1973 would give some 200 first- cycle graduates by 1976-77 and 100-125 second-cycle graduates by 1979-80. As a result, up to 1980, the school system will be unable to produce suffi- cient candidates to fill all medium and higher-level jobs, (vacancies and net additions) which will of necessity lead to a temporary increase in the number of foreigners holding such jobs and will further delay MauritaniZation. 71. Allowance must also be made for an increase in the demand for medium and higher-level manpower as a result of economic development during the period 1973-80. If the computed requirements for the period 1970-73 increase by only one-third between 1974 and 1980, the current shortfall will persist, despite the planned expansion of secondary education between 1970 and 1973. It is therefore essential to plan for an expansion of classical education until its output is sufficient to cover at least the basic require- ments for trained manpower of the public and private sector. Otherwise Mauritania would be confined in a "cultural desert". The priority given to the development of the existing school system is therefore justified even if this system is not yet satisfactory and is much too expensive; the patient must be cured, not abandoned. 72. The Ministry for Training of High-Level Manpower has drawn up an inventory of the need for skilled manpower in the public sector over the next four years. It has also set minimum standards for basic education and for the duration of specialized training for this personnel, but without taking into account possibilities of recruitment at the desired levels nor the time lag these requirements will demand. The Ministry wishes to recruit better trained staff, as well as to train them within the country. The list of manpower needs shows not only a very wide range of specialized training, but also a small number of people for each speciality. Thus, to meet the - 24 - wishes of the authorities it would be necessary to open a large number of training centers or sections, each of which would have a very small number of candidates; this would increase considerably organizational difficulties and costs. 73. These few observations should illustrate sufficiently the deep- rooted contradictions between what is wanted, what is needed, and what is feasible; they also show the illusory nature of some of the solutions that have been put forward in haste, based on situations existing in developed countries or in countries of the Third World with more numerous and more concentrated populations. The conclusion is therefore inescapable that new solutions must be found, better suited to Mauritania's specific problems. The chief problem is that of the cost of classical education, for unless these costs can be cut back substantially, any expansion of classical education in Mauritania will of necessity remain very limited. (b) The cost of classical education 74. The analysis of the true cost of education is very difficult, for the definitive accounts for the past several years are not yet available, expenditure on education is divided among several ministries and between local and regional authorities, and the cost of external assistance is difficult to gauge. Despite these elements of uncertainty, it is possible to assess the financial effort made by the State in support of the educa- tional system: between 1954 and 1963, the total current budget rose 5.5 times, and appropriations for education 6.9 times; between 1964 and 1973, the overall current budget is expected to double and appropriations for education to rise 3.7 times. While appropriations for education represented 12% of the Government's budget in 1954, they may well represent close to 18% in 1973. According to these figures, Mauritania is devoting a much larger share of its resources to education than the maiority of the rich countries, and this to provide education for only about 15% of its school age population. 75. Three natural obstacles contributed to the increasing costs: (a) the nomadic life style of over 70% of the population; (b) the scattered settlement pattern of the sedentary farmers living near the Senegal River; (c) the small number of towns and their very limited sIze Thein posbletn q uill not rchng and t mihc he toecn antn int mhedu cnsd- ering possible ways of reducing the costs of education in ihe medium and - 25 - long-term. .LnO[her LLUL weiguing heavily on Lhese coss Iso tat of board ing, since almost 90% of the secondary students are provided with board, lodging and transportation wholly by the State, these social charges re- present more than half the current expenditure. 76. A forecast of the current budget carried out for the period 1970-73 by the irectorate or tne rlan nas assumeu tnat Le cost per pupi4- year will be reduced from CFAF 35,000 to CFAF 31,000 for primary education from 1970 onward and that for secondary education It will remain stable at CFAF 110,000. These costs have been applied to an increase in enrollment of 10,300 pupils in primary education ana 550 only in secondary education. There is, however, every indication that costs will not drop unless a maJor reform is carried out, and that allowance should be made for a greater increase in enrollments. 77. An exhaustive analysis of educational expenditure is therefore required as a matter of urgency in order to have the necessary information available to predict future expenditure correctly. This is all the more necessary as the predictions of the preceding Plan have not been fulfilled as regards enrollments and have been largely exceeded as regards expenditure. In 1968, it was envisaged 1_/ that education expenditure would amount to approximately CFAF 1,009 million in 1971; in 1970, these expenditures already amount to CFAF 1, 678 million, and are expected to rise to CFAF 1,884 million in 1971. These discrepancies should be regarded as an alarm signal; they show the urgent need for an immediate cost analysis. 2. Choice of language of instruction 78. Another factor weighing heavily on the cost of classical education, but one which goes beyond merely financial considerations, is the way in which bilingualism has been organized, so that an average of 7 teachers are required for 5 classes, or, in extreme cases, 2 teachers for one class. This situation has been pointed out in all reports and has given rise to two different kinds of recommendation: some advisers recommend training of bilingual teachers, while others suggest a monolingual first cycle followed by a bilingual supplementary cycle. Both suggestions presuppose the training of a more or less important number of bilingual teachers. It must be noted that these solutions have not yet produced the expected results as the cost per pupil-year has continued to climb. 79. The major cause of these failures lies in the difficulty of recruiting trainee with both a satisfactory basic education, i.e. BEPC (Diploma of First-Cycle Studies), and an adequate knowledge of the two national. languages, Arabic and French. These two requirements are hardly 1/ LBKu report: '%XUiivNia. Guiueunes Lor a 'uF ur 'ear Devlopment Program", November 1968. - 26 - ever cmbined, and v.L±lquul LUUntLies sucil as Canada and BCIglum1 nave 1ong ago given up this formula. In those countries, primary school teachers are monoli.na and pupCi receive neir primary education in their mother tongue. When a second language is taught at primary school, the pupils are introuUed to it [ut it uoes not serve as a vehicle for basic instruction. OU. Many Arab Countries have been obliged to retain a certain measure of bilingualism in primary schools to meet the requirements of secondary education, and it would be in Mauritania's interest to study the conditions under which Arabization has been undertaken in those countries, since no- where has a one year's introduction into Arabic been followed by one in French and it is almost certain that this schedule will yield little re- sults. If the country cannot hope to produce high-grade bilingual teachers within another 10 years and if the way in which bilingualism is currently organized has little chance of proving ettective, it might be advisable to reconsider the basic decisions. 81. In this light, it is important to define the respective roles of the languages taught in primary school. Experiments carried out over the past 20 years have shown that much better results are obtained when a child receives his elementary education in a language with which he is familiar. To train the child's mind and powers of judgment, the school must teach him to formulate his own thoughts, which presupposes at least a mastery of the spoken language. The choice of language of instruction should therefore -- in the first instance -- be guided by considerations of efficiency: the child will draw benefit from his schooling to the extent that he understands the teacher's explanations and is readily able to formulate his own responses. 82. The same experiments have shown that at least 4 years of effective schooling are required to successfully complete apprenticeship in the basic tools of knowledge (reading, writing and arithmetic) in one language. If the first years are devoted to an introduction to two languages as different in their structure and written form as Arabic and French, it is inevitable that results will be unsatisfactory because the time devoted to each is halved, and because the minds of the pupils will become confused whenever they endeavor to formulate their thoughts. With very few exceptions, pupils who have been treate' in this way know neither Arabic nor French and are no longer capable of thinking for themselves; they are more or less able to repeat words that they have heard and remembered, but they have not been educated since they were not taught to think, reason, or express themselves. 83. Consequently, it would be preferable to postpone introduction to the second language until basic education in the language familiar to the child has become sufficiently well established, at the earliest after 4 years of elementary schooling. Even at this stage- the second language - 27 - should remain an instrument of oral communication enabling the child to understand fellow-citizens who use the other national language; the use of a second written language would not start before secondary school. This distinction between language of education and language of communica-- tion should guide the choice of language of instruction: depending on whether his home background has familiarized the child with Arabic or French, he would receive at least 4 years education in Arabic or in French, and only then would he be introduced to the other language in its oral form. 84. The problem of language is all the more important as expansion of secondary education will raise the problem of mastering a scientific and commercial language of international importance. Because of its position on the westermost edge of the Arab world, Mauritania cannot develop without lasting contacts with neighboring countries and with Europe; this assumes industrial and commercial relations, which will require the use of French, Spanish or English. In addition, the size of the country will not justify the setting up of a university for a long time to come. To train its high level manpower, Mauritania will have to send its students abroad and train them to express themselves fluently in a language of international scope. Finally. as long as the country is without locally trained teachers and is dependent on assistance from France, pupils embarking on a secondary education will have to know French. 85. Consequently. the authorities should urgently reconsider their decision to apply "sandwich-style" bilingualism. A possible solution might lie in enhancine the nosition of Arabic In areas where this laneuance is dominant and guiding pupils with this background to literary and legal. studies in Arahin or to becomine Arahic-lanquaap teacherg. whilp scientific- technical and commercial studies would be reserved for pupils with a command of French. Tf this RolItion would annear ton dlRoriminatorv hilinvralisR m should be strengthened during the final years of primary school and in qPondary PdAntion htif whatever hannonp tha lingnistic ialntion in the first grades of primary school should be simplified by employing one Iannuaap onlv 'A- Vn4-tinnnl rraninn of wnrkrja nti 1nwjPr-1vPr1 m.qnnpr 86.As a pactnrAl and nori ritl tiirnl country, Mn iri t-nni dnPQ not linvp any stock of skilled workers or technicians; it has to import not only the traInae nf mannower ht alQn tha aeillrad mannnwar -tolf. Tn recent yanrs employers in the public and private sector have trained workers and lower lpual white orllars mannnwr h uaing intensixe training echniea for adults and for setting up training centers for selected illiterate adults and for u^-na,mn&t ath wt a,- -n4n nmnn nF l amae schoolIng* In terms of numbers, however, results have fallen far short of requirements. Th-ree bai factonrss ,t piresent deternen t-he solutio4n #--- t-he prorlam- of vocational and technical training: (a) To achieve more lasting and apparent results, intensive Ut Q.L1~ AJ'.h. cn o,,st.,. 43C p4~ nit *tn,n~ Ut *jn-.ttV4la - tAA JO W.Cih - 23 - better general educational background. The level of recruitment should therefore be raised, which would require an improvement in both the numbers and quality of those leaving primary and secondary schools. (b) Needs are extremely varied, but relatively few people are re- quired in each speciality. (c) The setting up of the technical "college" and the technical "lycee" has led to specialized training courses of a scholastic type which will be producing technicians of a kind for which the employment market is limited. 87. In the light of these basic facts, a rational manpower training program will require: (a) development of secondary education, to produce more first-cycle graduates (BEPC) and "bacheliers" able to benefit from an intensive course of specialized training; (b) opening of temporary technical sections which would provide specialized training with an initial syllabus common to several sections; (c) setting up of a permanent coordinating body between training services and users, to ensure that the courses have the proper contents to ensure employment for its graduates. 88. The infrastructure set up to provide technical training, while still modest, is already very expensive and cannot possibly be expanded to meet all requirements if the State alone has to bear all the costs. Less costly solutions or a new stratey for financins are therefore needed. and a Eew suggestions are given below: (a) raising the level of recruitment would make it possible to rut duration of snecialized trainin!: (h) incluitoinn nf tPrhno1nv cour-Ps in the zeneral education syllabus would make it easier to identify pupils with an aptitude fnr tPrhnical wnrk and thprphv redue the number of faulty selections and the duration of specialized training; (c) public technical schools could limit their objectives to pro- responsible for teaching specialized subjects according to cUc r LLlv L J..L,±cour, ld be. ed x i "baccalaureat" level could be entrusted to existing regional - 29 - nL.t'Luces In neignoring countries ana aoroad, so as to avoid setting up highly specialized centers with a limited enrollment; (e) the high level administrative manpower could be recruited at a higher level of general education and their specialized training organized by the National School of Administration, where officials currently running administrative services could provide instruction; (f) major users, such as mining and fisheries, would continue to provide vocational training for their workers, as there is no prospect of the school system successfully developing training of this nature; (g) medium-sized users, such as banks, insurance companies and commercial undertakings, could band together to form professional associations to organize specialized training for students who have received good preliminary training in the commercial section to be opened in the second cycle at the Nouakchott "lycee"; (h) small users would train "on the spot" young people with a CEP or BEPC level education, depending on their needs and the recruitment possibilities. Whether they are working for the public or the private sector, all existing and future training centers should provide two cycles of instruction: a training cycle for those leaving secondary schools and an advanced training cycle for the upgrading of existing staff. 89. In the final analysis, the small size of the country, and the variety and order of magnitude of its needs do not warrant the creation of a technical and vocational training infrastructure along the lines of those in more densely populated and more highly industrialized countries. The contribution to be made by the users of manpower should be organized on a systematic basis, with the role of the schools limited to raising the general education background and providing technicians with preliminary training. Spread over the next five years, this policy would make it possible to cover short-term needs and would allow the necessary time to train local technical instructors so as to prepare the way for the setting up of a national system when the country's resources permit. 4. Education of the nomadic and rural populations 90. Most likely, elementary schooling will never become universal in Mauritania unless novel means can be found to reach the children of the nomads, and scattered farmers. Also, it is most likely, that education of the present classical type only serves to uproot the children and detach - 30 - them from their environment without giving them any training they can really use in the life that will be theirs. Consequently, the search for a system of education adapted to the needs of 90% of the children of auritania should he undertaken both vigorously and with determination. 91. In most countries attempts so far to provide schooling for nomads have resulted in failure or have been abandoned for economic reasons; only when the authorities have succeeded in persuading nomadic populations to become iiore or less sedentary has schooling made any headway. This would, however, not seem to be the proper solution for Mauritania. since trans- humance is and will remain a mainstay of the country's economy. Conse- quently, novel solutions must be found different from the setting up, regardless of cost, of schools of the classical type at the camping sites. It should be added that this modern type of education, even if it could be introduced into the life of the nomadic populations, would run up against additional barriers, such as the archaic structure of their society and the lack of enthusiasm of the religious authorities. 92. Nevertheless, the priorities allocated to the development of rural areas are based on the assumption that cattle raisers will become a decisive factor in future progress. Consideration therefore has to be given to an educational effort which will encomnass not only the children hut aln the adults; in this light, therefore, radio certainly has possibilities which have not vet been sufficiently exn1ited_ Honwver radin must not he considered solely as a means to replace schoolteachers or to relay the current contents of rn.qR4rAl nrimary educntinn Tf must he Pmn1nvPd on an experimental basis to take advantage of the tradition of oral transmission of knnwldra thnt still holdQ Qwniy amon nomndir ncndoesn no tn aneint the rural masses, not simply to instruct them "on the cheap". 93. In this context, the Planning Service in the Ministry of Education ha bee i n cnoIderI4ng 1a , -asIc reeac -rjc hIhi fgrainre not only for Mauritania, but for all the Saharan peoples living under Similar conditions. This project would take the form of ()daigu "map" of the routes followed by the larger groups of nomads; these routes these tribes remain for prolongated periods of time, leaving their tents sLaniUlg, Laig LILL 1eLU LU graze Le sULLUUULig pasLULe, ad LeLUL- ing to the well each evening; (c) organizing itinerant teams, armed with a timetalle UL migi dLULm UVeL[en, LU pLUViU ULLLnL serViAc LU Lhes tribes whenever they are encamped for any length of time. Work of these teams would comprise the following (in order of priority): (a) an extension service effort among adults relating to the care of their animals, which are their sole forms of wealth and the major focus of their interest; - 31 - (b) a health effort: vaccination, care of the sick, child welfare, etc.; (c) a commercial effort in the form of small "shops" making it easier for families to obtain supplies; (d) finally. ar educational effort amonR the young. This occasional "schooling" would remain an integral part of the work of permanent education undertaken by the team as a whole: it would open the way to a school better adapted to the conditions of life that will remain those of the children who do not go on to secondary school. The survey recommended would be in line with the wishes of several ministries and international ornanizations; it would take the form of a nilot survey. with the teams ensuring regular contacts with the groups of nomads. As most of these arouns remain stationary at the same times of the year the education teams should be considered as "feelers" for the services respons- ible for drawing tin the radio nrnrrams and for evaluatin the reults of this approach. 94. Among the sedentary farmers, the problems of education are less diffirilt- hint hPre trn Pdiiration fqcza ruial nrAhlom that- nrimary schools of the European type (as applied in Mauritania with only slight modIficationa) ar) AlrntoA ontirelu t-n.ardc iloa4rml ann^nAry school and do nothing to satisfy the education needs of a peasant farmer in the aonth nf ManvItan4q. Under the pveeant axyatem fr eery chd41A who 411 go on to secondary school and who will therefore have a chance of obtaining a clca<csl HicFent e enable h tmo,. make h4 weu 4n the modern sector of the economy, the primary schools produce 3 others who will nt gon any at her, who .il remSin semi-1it-fao-, t- Off F)1-4m _h m414--.o and from their families, unable to use the little education they have received in either th-e modIern sector or the tr_-ditional sector .4 E'vldenti-. there is a strong likelihood that all the effort and all the material roanurcea 4nmated 4n 75% nf thoa enrolled 4 pr4mnry nn1 o.411 e rctly speaking, be to no avail, or -- even worse -- will have harmful social and aonomi efe..tt L . tio woatage of uanf andu matrCt.lt reoautes t a maJu obstacle to the economic and social development of the country. 95. Another consequence of this harmful situation is insufficient atenSanace at many of tae bu,sh ahosv . nu i ing Le past fCw yes thse authorities have had to close schools with fewer than 20 pupils, but the P .Lan Las.Ls LuL. JU-J.V new stIaou.o L.U upJut.e u ocpLel tnedL e Lyea LirC 'tnt e lntd, existing schools are being closed and, on the other, new ones are being IpItZuO. 111 .LLU4LJ.Ull WeLLCdLILM c rULVVy LaKILIK Lilt LUi UW111: IULI. (a) setting up a card index of schools, summarizing their "history" oVeL Le lasL seVerdl yearL (umbue o u - pu1IL_ vy graue, nsumber of classrooms and number of teachers); (b) analysis of the reasons for closure of schools shut down during the past 4 years. Subsequently, only one line woulU need to e ClompleeUU eL YO o & card to have a permanent record of the situation, which would permit ready identification of schools requiring extension and of those in critical position. This simple form of research would make it possible to establish viability criteria for new scnools; and to avoid in future contruction and later abandonment of school buildings in a country where less than 15% of the children go to school. This card index would permit the drawing of a "school map" for primary education and allow possible mergers to be studied on an objective basis. 96. The problem of the 75% of the children who leave primary school each year without going on to secondary education has been recognized for some time, and the response has been the institution of the second rural primary cycle. The legal provisions calling for a final cycle of two years to prepare children for rural life merit special attention, as this initia- tive is an answer to the pressing need to take advantage of the elementary schooling received by all those who are not going on to secondary school. However, the institution of this new type of training requires preparatory social and economic studies and arrangements of a pedagogic nature which will subsequently have to be programmed. The points to be established are: (a) where will these second rural cycles be set up? (b) what special facilities will they have? (c) who is going to recruit, train and supervise the staff required? (d) what will be the cost per pupil-year in these institutions? (e) what will be the objectives and programs of study of this rural cycle? The descriptions that have been given so far remain theoretical, and it would seem impossible to apply the Law of June 1968 during the period covered by the 1970-73 Plan if these preparatory studies are not under- taken as a matter of the highest urgency, because it is first necessary to train the personnel. - 33 - C. The Means of Action Required: Basic Research 97. As has been clearly shown in the preceding chapters, Mauritania's education system has now come to a dead end. The system is not able to satisfy the need for skilled workers and trained manpower in the modern sector of the economy, and a rapid expansion of this system is precluded by the extremely high cost, while the need for education in the traditional sector (which embraces over 80% of the populatiAn and produces 45% of the GNP) are not covered at all. Only detailed research in several directions will, as has already been mentioned on several occasions, make it possible to find a way out of this impasse. 98. The followinp should be studied as matters of the hichet nrinrivty problems relating to the cost of classical education, including the problem of bilingualism in primary schools and the nroblem of the rural mnce- - the manufacturing of the solutions envisaged. 99. Consequently, before anything is done about the structure, services for annlipd ftindipq and reoparrh ine-n nPeaogn mnst be ma avo- able; the results of this work will then have to be awaited in order to plan the rPorqani7aion of the Qnhol QuVatm All th norves req-4red to plan, organize, implement and ensure the success of a reform of the school system are in Ptc' hit theu lak both pesovnnnl and the means of ecann. they are also much too widely dispersed. 100. In the Ministry of National Education: - the Planning and Statistics Service is part of the General Secr.etar-i--tl; - the Equipment Section and a Pedagogic Studies Service areLU -pUrt- of the Department of Primary Education; - scholarships, examinations, information and guidance come under the Department of SecondaryEductIon - t. Regiona. T L - - - - I.L. A.MC ILy ItIU c L LULJULI. LIU 'NitLJUIId. Pedagogic Center and the Nouakchott Teacher Training College 101. rm 11LLisAry U TeclIal "UUtLLLUII, 11L 1111 UI fil Il"aVEL >anpower and the Civil Service is responsible, inter alia, for higher c A.Ion an tecncal education. TiL Inistry likewise has a Guidance and Planning Service and a St.idy Service. 102. This dispersal of powers and responsibilities is unnecessary in 11-urL I tanuO -I L a: L erllments anLL tS'e numAfber of educa-',tiomna esnotabl ishmentsd not justify it. On the contrary, advantage should be taken of the small size of th edc atIonal sySteCm to ensure unity Of ac_tio0n in th14S field and achieve sizable savings in operating expenses. On this basis, the 1"iLLLn,isty of Naiona Education would~ L.eA repnil forUL a.1- fS. ^_ r o education, including the technical instruction given at the technical 1lege" ad Lte techical.. "Lycee"C t NoLuakchott.JL , togeherwit reate services: planning, equipment, information, guidance, training, refresher COLrses, anu researchrie din Lthulu_ LC auLuVL OyMLoCi, WLLaLLca (or a State Secretary) would be responsible for the training of higher- echelon people ana those SLUUyLI, aLLcU ULL n LIU1VL Lu&±nax . LLL U1utL wuLu, the Ministry of National Education would educate and pre-train the country's young people, leaving it to another government authority to uorani= specialized training courses and find suitable employments related to the country's needs. This distribution of laDUL woulu pemtU L1te LealloctUon of existing services, and their better utilization, provided they are supplied with the necessary personnel and means of action. IU3. it would tnen De possiole to set up a Division wor Euca-t-ion Planning which would come directly under the General Secretary of the Ministry of National Education and would work in continuous contact with the General Directorate of the Plan. This Division would be made up of: - a Bureau of Statistics and the School Map; - a Bureau of Equipment and Expenditure; - a Bureau of Information and Guidance; - a Joint Service for Social and Economic Research. 104. The National Pedagogic Center (entirely reorganized) would have a Division of Applied Research in Pedagogy and a Division of Training and Refresher Courses, which would include all the agencies dealing with plan- ning and research in the teaching field. 105. The authority responsible for the training of high-level manpower would work in constant collaboration with the Department of the Plan and the other ministries; it would be responsible for: - determining the requirements, recruitment procedures, training and placement of middle and higher level personnel needed to speed up the Mauritanization and the development of the country; - organizing specialized training courses for the public sector; - 35 - - establishing the necessary relations with employers' and workers' organizations to enue wi4th the~ ativer~ and fl cotiuousi lip of the employers, training of the necessary staff for the private sec:tor. EU ILIUU5L "t ou h " LLI~~ _LI #-L 0 LI L WL.LJ..L MUL. LL %..LL technical assistance, it is essential that the research in the field of eaucation ana ies appiication Uuuld ve unk- U1te n t-a Lmaiy 1-y 1-)n -u nationals as they alone can define with authority, and with a knowledge of all the social ana political factr iuvuveu, tne vasic course to L e followed by their country's future education system. It is therefore a matter of high priority to form a nucleus of nigj-cUvL am.Un±Lnla re- searchers able to formulate the new policies and subsequently apply them. mhis goal could best be achieved by sending a smal number of qualiieU 'lauritanians on a series of courses of practical work in pedagogic research institutes abroad. Although they will not find any ready-made solutions for Mauritania these trainees will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the tools required for reaching such solutions. 107. This need has not been clearly recognized to date, either in the Plan or in other studies dealing with education in Mauritania. It is, however, evident that the country cannot reorganize its educational systen without a competent "general staff" of inspectors, counsellors, planners, organization and methods experts and researchers who will adapt existing techniques to national needs. 108. The problems of providing education for the nomadic population and the scattered farmers are not peculiar to Mauritania; they are, however, found here with textbook clarity and on a very small scale, making them much easier to apprehend. If solutions can be found, these will be applicable in numerous countries where at least part of the popu- lation lives under similar conditions, both in the Saharan countries from the Atlantic Coast of Senegal to the Persian Gulf, and in countries where agriculture is organized on an artisanal basis. What are involved here are therefore fundamental problems which would warrant basic research carried out with all the necessary scientific safeguards; if this re- search can be carried out under proper conditions, this will avoid dispersal of effort and greatly increase the chances of success. ma n r fl I A FJ Y T GROWTH OF THE TOTAL PRIMArY SCHOOL POPULATION bTwlN ly51/5 and lyoo/oy .1n- l- 2f ."...1 0 0 ap nrle,o whom 109 V-1 - 1956/57 : 5,U90 " " , " 759 "i 13.8%; 1961/62 11.915 ' , 2,950 i t 19.8%; 1966/67 21,808 " , 5,001 " 23.0%; 1967/68 23,635 " 5, 930 = 5.1%; 1968/69 : 26,200 " " " 7,294 " 27.9%; TABLE I/B. GROWTH OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL POPULATION BY CLASS-YEAR BETWEEN 190 and 190y Year 1960-1967 1st 2d 3rd 4th 5th 6th 1968 onward 1st 2d 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th TOTAL 1960/61 - 3,952 2,688 1,671 1,283 880 805 11,279 1961/62 - 5,545 3,374 2,301 1,539 1,207 949 14,915 1962/63 - 5,791 4,635 3,034 2,023 1,394 1,321 18,198 1963/64 - 4,624 4,872 3,526 2,430 1,712 1,442 18,606 1964/65 - 4,740 3,925 3,639 2,938 2,126 1,703 19,073 1965/66 - 5,602 3,675 3,549 3,182 2,257 2,168 20,433 1966/67 - 5,459 4,175 3,477 3,128 2,663 2,906 21,808 1967/68 - 5,215 5,039 4,111 3,218 2,761 3,291 23,635 1968/69 5,690 4,320 1,103 3,975 3,448 3,069 3,586 26,200 TABLE I/C. GRO14TH IN NUM1BER OF SCHOOLS AND THEIR STRUCTURE 1964/65 : 250 schools, 32 of which have more than 6 classes and 218 less than six classes -- 140 of these being one-class schools; and Y U/fY . AL --L -LVU. 4.0 'L WUAk Ik ISO.V S. as unw n--- mene and. 99 lyUUOf- nZe scU ols DLnVD o" w" c- n-ave 6 or more cleu ass w less than six classes -- 140 of these being one- class schools. .17 TABLE II/A. ANNEX II GROWTH OF THE PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL POPULATION B~tm.r.,pkt 1921- -a' ifp~ /4n let, 2d 3rd hth Total 5th 6th Final Total Total Year n st cycle 2d cycle secondary 1962/63 352 228 136 128 8h 43 19 13 75 919 1967/68 630 635 374 385 2,o24 120 60 24 204 2,228 1968/69 681 663 611 395 2,350 201 81 46 328 2,678 mAny'*rl GROWTH IN NUMBER OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND CLASSFS BETWEEN 1961/62 and 1968/69 1961/2 1962/3 1963/4 1964/5 1965/6 1966/7 1967/8 1968/9 Number of classes ... 26 33 37 48 53 60 65 77 Of which: lyc6es 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 and "IXE f" classes 17 22 26 33 37 42 45 55 collftes 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 and collige classes 9 11 11 15 16 18 20 22 TABLE II/C. GROWTH IN NUMBER OF GIRLS ATTENDING PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS 1962/3 t 57 girls out of a total enrollment of 919 6.2%; 16A '3.4 J I .1. gil out.J ofL..IIU&. aI to13 nolMn o e- r -38 - TABLE III ANNEX III ro''U v Itr ITAIrnTAL oTtc A IDAAIPP[RIJIoNS FOR EDUCATION SINCE 1954, ACCORDING TO VARiIOUS SOURCES COUSULTED (in CFAF million) Year N a t i o n a 1 B u d g e t _Appropriations for Education (1) (2)¯ T3)¯ (1) (2 (6)- (4) (3 5) 19549 - - - - 110 - - 1959 2,249 - - - - 340 - - - 1960 3,427 - 3,146 - - 487 - - 1961 3,882 4,220 3,736 - - , 457 446 - - (3) 1962 4,679 4,095 4,606 - 4,25OU) 635 560 - - 531 1963 4,987 4,669 4,331 - 4,830 764 663 620 - 620 1964 - 3,974 4,137 4,137 4,137 - 636 643 636 642 1965 - - 4,164 4,350 4,350 - - 700 700 700 1966 - - 4,409 4,710 4,710 - - 737 695 733 1967 - - 5,113 5,613 - - - 853 825 - 1968 - - - 6,075 - - - - 908 - 1969 - - - 7,083 6,hO3C - - - 1,162 1,95(5) 1970 - - - 8,257 6,866 - - - 1,456 1,678 1971 - - - - 7,374 - - - - 1 88 1972 - - - - 7,934 - - - - 2,116 1973 - - - - 8,58 - - - - 2,376 (1) Rapport Botti et Vésinet -- S.E.D.E.S. -- 1963 Tome I, Page 17; (2) The Economy of Mauritania -- I.B.R.D. -- Dec. 14, 1964 -- Table 12; (3) Mauritanie: Esquisse d'un programme de développement quadriennal -- B.I.R.D. 1968 -- pages 93 znd 139; () Source: Service de la Planification -- Ministère de l'Education i-ona'e (170); (5) Direction du Plan -- Etudes préparatoires -- 20-5-1969 (Martinor et Branger); (6) Guidelines for a Four-Year Development Program -- Vol. Il -- Part II -- i.B.R.D. 1968 -- Tables 15 and 16 and page 78. - 39 n ANNEX WV Additional requirements of medium ana high-level manpower in the public sector between 1970 and 1973 Rural sector:: 4 - 5 "bacheliers" (high school graduates) to be channeled each year to the study of veterinary medicine; 41 officials to be trained each year for the cooperatives, 19 of these from the Kaedi agricultural training center; 23 agricultural extension workers, 3 of these from Kaedi and 4 from the National School of Administration. Infrastructure: Ports of Boghe and Nouadhibou (a) During the work: 4 superintendents; 3 management accountants; 11 works overseers; 6 technicians (topographers, surveyors, etc.); (b) For operations: 4 engineers and 20 technical assistants. Transportation, Posts, Telecommunications, Mining, Toeographical Services: University graduates ...........................................19 Technicians with post-"baccalaureat" training ..........,.........18 Technicians with "baccalaureat"-level training .................75 Specialists with BEPC-level training ......... ........80 Commerce: 40 specialists (inspectors and supervisors) to be trained in the National School of Administration, of whom 10 at "baccalaureat" level and 30 at BEPC level. Tourism: 20 officials to be trained in the National School of Administration, of whom 10 at "baccalaureat" level and 10 at BEPC level. Information: 60 officials to be trained for radio and the written press, of whom 40 after "baccalaureat" and 20 after BEPC. Health: The resent manpower structure is as follows: 44 physicians, pharmacists and dentists, 41 supplied under the Technical Assistance program and 3 Hauritanian nationals; 2 foreign social workers (female) 10 midwives, 8 of them foreign; 45 foreign State-registered nurses; 301 certificated nurses, nursing auxiliaries, sanitary inspectors, microscopists and laboratory assistants, all Mauritanian nationals. - 40 - Manpower at present receiving training: 29 studying medicine, 1 studying pharmacy and 1 studying dentistry, plus 3 studying sanitary engineering. Future manpower needs: each year 10 "bacheliers" should be channeled to studies in the medical sciences, and recruitment for the School of Nursing should be organized on an annual basis, so as to double output.
Группа Всемирного банка · Pre-2003 Economic or Sector Report
Mauritania - The current economic situation and prospects of Mauritania (Vol. 4 of 4) : Education
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Основные сведения
Организация
Группа Всемирного банка
Тип документа
Pre-2003 Economic or Sector Report
Страна
Мавритания
Источник
Всемирный банк