• Cape Verde partners with Portugal to roll out international student assessments

• The move aims to benchmark performance and improve education policy

• Persistent gaps in access and learning outcomes remain a concern

Cape Verde is seeking to raise the quality of its education system by partnering with Portugal to align its assessment methods with international standards.

On March 16, the Ministry of Education and the Institute for Quality and Evaluation of Education (EduQA, I.P.) signed a technical assistance agreement focused on external assessment of student learning. According to an official statement, the deal will support the country’s preparation and rollout of the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a global benchmark for education systems.

The signing ceremony, led by Education Minister Amadeu Cruz, brought together officials from both countries, reflecting the operational scope of the partnership. The agreement was signed by Nuno Gomes, coordinator of Cape Verde’s Special Projects Management Unit (UGPE), and Luís Santos, president of Portugal’s EduQA.

The minister described PISA as a key tool to provide a comprehensive picture of educational performance and guide strategic decision-making, calling it a mirror of the state of teaching and learning.

The rollout will rely on structured knowledge transfer, with support from Portugal’s Institute for Educational Evaluation (IAVE), working alongside Cape Verdean authorities. The aim is to introduce evaluation methods aligned with international standards while adapting them to local realities.

Assessments will cover language, mathematics, science, and digital skills, with the goal of placing Cape Verdean students within a global comparative framework. Authorities also plan to introduce a national education barometer to track performance and strengthen sector governance.

Beyond international benchmarking, the initiative is expected to address equity challenges within the system. In an archipelago marked by strong regional disparities, better use of data could help target public policies and reduce learning gaps.

Education indicators point to progress but also lingering weaknesses. Primary completion rates stand at around 65% to 67%, according to UNESCO, while the transition to secondary education remains fragile, highlighting breaks in student pathways. Access to higher education is still limited, with fewer than 10% of adults reaching that level.

Public investment remains significant, with about 14.7% of government spending allocated to education in 2023, according to Macrotrends. Yet learning outcomes continue to lag, as school enrollment does not always translate into mastery of basic skills, particularly in reading and mathematics.

In this context, reliance on Portuguese expertise is seen as a structural lever. By combining technical support, knowledge transfer, and alignment with international standards, the partnership is intended to accelerate the transformation of Cape Verde’s education system while improving both equity and performance.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou