• Côte d’Ivoire to train 2,000 science teachers on contracts
• Programme targets shortages in maths and physics teaching
• Initiative responds to rising enrollment and promotes science education

The Ivorian government is moving to strengthen science education at secondary level by training 2,000 mathematics and physics teachers on fixed-term contracts. The teachers were provisionally admitted following a written test.

The programme was launched on Monday, March 30, by Education Minister N’Guessan Koffi and will run for two weeks.

Promoting science streams in Côte d’Ivoire

This initial training phase will be followed by additional sessions during the summer holidays, according to an official statement. The programme aims to improve teaching quality and strengthen the pedagogical skills of young graduates recruited with at least two years of post-secondary education.

“In our country, some students progress from 6th to 4th grade without having received a single mathematics or physics-chemistry lesson. Given this situation, the government deemed it necessary to launch this exceptional initiative,” the minister said.

According to the statement, the training programme will run over two years, with intensified sessions during the summer to address identified gaps. The initiative is also intended to promote science education and increase the number of trained engineers to support economic development.

Responding to rising secondary school enrollment

The move comes as Côte d’Ivoire’s secondary education system undergoes rapid expansion. Data from the official Ivorian economy portal show that the number of students in general secondary education rose from 1.9 million in the 2017–2018 academic year to 3.2 million in 2024–2025, an increase of 67.1%. The public sector accounts for 36% of total enrollment.

The number of secondary schools increased from 1,778 to 3,901 between 2017–2018 and 2023–2024, up more than 119.4%. The number of classrooms rose by 60.6% over the same period.

Against this backdrop, demand for qualified science teachers has intensified. Authorities report 1,453 vacancies in mathematics and 958 in physics-chemistry.

In response, the government has made the training of science teachers a priority, as part of broader efforts to improve education quality and enhance young people’s job prospects.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou