• New decree creates unified system for teacher training across all levels

• Reform introduces flexible training formats and stricter accreditation rules

• Move aims to address gaps in quality despite strong school enrollment

Cape Verde plans to overhaul its teacher training system with a new legal framework designed to standardize and strengthen the profession across all levels of education.

On April 6, the Ministry of Education published a decree establishing a unified legal regime for training teachers in early childhood, primary, and secondary education. The framework applies to all education subsystems and marks a first for the archipelago. It also lays the foundation for sustainable, career-long professional development.

Decree-law No. 24/2026 structures training into three distinct levels. Initial training is required to enter the profession. Continuing training ensures ongoing updates to teaching practices. Specific training addresses targeted needs. In line with Article 65 of the Career Framework Plan (PCFR), approved under Law No. 46/X/2025, “training must be developed systematically.”

The reform introduces flexible training formats, including in-person, дистанce, and hybrid learning. It also establishes stricter mechanisms for accrediting and evaluating training providers. The framework builds on existing teacher competency profiles, which define the skills required at each level of the education system.

The government’s assessment is blunt. “Gaps in coverage and weaknesses in linking theory and practice persist,” the ministry said in an official statement. The lack of an integrated framework had made it difficult to align professional standards with career rules. The PCFR now defines teaching staff as professionals with specific competencies to perform both permanent and temporary roles.

The reform follows a broad consultation process involving universities, regulatory agencies, unions, and ministerial bodies. Between 2016 and 2023, the government had already regularized the status of more than 7,000 teachers. The new decree aims to address challenges earlier in the training pipeline.

The initiative comes amid mixed education outcomes. Cape Verde achieved a preschool enrollment rate of 92% in the 2022–2023 academic year, according to UNICEF. However, despite near-universal access to primary education, UNESCO reports that learning outcomes remain below expectations. The country does not participate in any standardized international assessments, making it difficult to measure student performance accurately. The new framework seeks to address this gap, in part through expanded educational research.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou