• Côte d’Ivoire has launched a drive to recruit 2,000 contract science teachers.

• The move aims to ease growing math and science teacher shortages.

• Authorities are using contract positions to respond quickly while limiting payroll costs.

Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of National Education, Literacy, and Technical Education (MENAET) announced on March 9 the launch of two exceptional recruitment tests aimed at filling 2,000 contract science teaching positions in general secondary education.

The first recruitment test targets 1,364 positions for middle schools, including 1,078 contract teachers in mathematics and 286 contract teachers in physics-chemistry and life and earth sciences.

The second aims to fill 639 positions in high schools, including 418 mathematics teachers and 218 physics-chemistry teachers.

Candidates have until March 15, 2026, to apply online through the official website of the National Institute for Technical and Vocational Pedagogy (IPNETP).

For high school positions, applicants must be Ivorian nationals born between December 31, 1981, and December 31, 2005. They must hold a science-track high school diploma (series C, D, E, or F) and at least a two-year postsecondary degree (Bac+2) in pure sciences or mathematics and computer science.

For middle school positions, recruitment is open to candidates born from 1984 onward who hold a science-track high school diploma and scored at least 10 out of 20 in the subject of the recruitment exam.

After passing the written stage, candidates will have to submit a physical application file including a cover letter, certified copies of diplomas, a criminal record certificate issued within the past three months, a nationality certificate, and a copy of their CMU health card.

A medical examination confirming fitness to teach will also be conducted when application files are submitted, according to the official statement from MENAET.

A large recruitment drive amid structural shortages

The recruitment push comes as the education system faces mounting pressure.

Between the 2017–2018 and 2023–2024 school years, the number of secondary schools in Côte d’Ivoire more than doubled, rising from 1,778 to 3,590. Over the same period, student enrollment jumped from 1,923,763 to 3,214,615, according to the country’s official economic information portal.

This surge in student numbers has not been matched by sufficient recruitment of qualified teachers, weighing directly on the quality of learning.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), sub-Saharan Africa will need 11.1 million additional secondary school teachers to meet the Agenda 2030 education goals, in a region where 90% of countries face severe teacher shortages.

By opting for contract teachers rather than permanent civil servants, the government in Abidjan aims to respond quickly to the shortage while limiting pressure on the public wage bill—a difficult balance many countries in the region are trying to manage.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou