Madagascar: Education System



Figure 1.--Theis is the Paul Minault School in Ambohijatovo, Antananarivo. The school was founded by a French Evangelical missionary society. Here the students are at an assembly in the attached church building. The organ can be seen in the rear along with ax display of French flags. Paul Minault was a missionary killed near the market of Ambatondradama (May 20, 1897). It was a boys' school. They boys all are wearing traditional Malagasy cloaks, byt French knickers and straw boater hats. Probably that was the school dress code. They are all barefoot as was common at the time in Madagascar. We note a Malagasy and French teacher in western clothes. The other adults wear traditioinal clothing. Presumably they are other teachers.

Madagascar like most African socities before the arrival of the French had no formal school system. There ws an informal education system. Traditional Malagasy society as was often the case throuhout Africa, Asia, and the Americas emphasized stability and maintaining one inherited place in society. Social mobility was limited in the hierarchical societies the Europeans encountered. The French in Madagascar found a society that emphasized the poroper observance of ritual and compliance with a wide range of taboos (called 'fady') food and other prohibitions. Malagasy society was both pacifist and tolerant. Inter-tribal warfare was less common than in other areas of Africa, but common with much of Africa was respect for the elderly and ancestors. Formal education in the Western sene came with the Europeans, but not for several centuries. Despite French Catholic influence, it was the Protestants who founded the first school. David Jones of the London Missionary Society (LMS) established a school in Antananarivo (1820). The lMS was active throughout Africa and a major force in the abolitionist movement that had helped launch Britain and the Royal Navy on a decades-long effort to end the slave trade. Jones convinced King Radama I to support a small school. The first students were children of the royal family. The Imerina missionaries launc=hed a lkarger effort, building many schools. This began to increase the number of literate Malagasy. After the French established a colonial admninistration, they also set up a public school system modeled on France's own education stystem. As in France after thge establishment of the Third Republic, this was a secular system. We are not sure yet about how the academic standards varied in the missionary and secular schools. There were elite schools resembling schools in France. They were reserved for the children of French citizens. These were mostly French families living in in Madagascar. Few Malagasy people were granted French citizendhip. Schools for the Malasay people emphasized practical and vocational education. They did not attempt to train students for positions of leadership as such positions were to be filled by the French. There was a need for lower level civil servants. These individuals were trained at the écoles régionales (regional schools), the most important of which was the École le Myre de Villers in the capital. French educational policy began to change after World War II. The French began to provide more educational opportunities for Malagasy children. As a result, Madagascar when France granted independence (1960) had an educatiinal system similar to France.

Traditional Society

Madagascar like most African socities before the arrival of the French had no formal school system. There ws an informal education system. Traditional Malagasy society as was often the case throuhout Africa, Asia, and the Americas emphasized stability and maintaining one inherited place in society. Social mobility was limited in the hierarchical societies the Europeans encountered. Basically, schools are an artifact which appear only after a writing appears and is needed by society.

French Era

The French in Madagascar found a society that emphasized the poroper observance of ritual and compliance with a wide range of taboos (called 'fady') food and other prohibitions. Malagasy society was both pacifist and tolerant. Inter-tribal warfare was less common than in other areas of Africa, but common with much of Africa was respect for the elderly and ancestors. Formal education in the Western sene came with the Europeans, but not for several centuries. Despite French Catholic influence, it was the Protestants who founded the first school. David Jones of the London Missionary Society (LMS) established a school in Antananarivo (1820). The lMS was active throughout Africa and a major force in the abolitionist movement that had helped launch Britain and the Royal Navy on a decades-long effort to end the slave trade. Jones convinced King Radama I to support a small school. The first students were children of the royal family. The Imerina missionaries launc=hed a lkarger effort, building many schools. This began to increase the number of literate Malagasy. After the French established a colonial admninistration, they also set up a public school system modeled on France's own education stystem. As in France after thge establishment of the Third Republic, this was a secular system. We are not sure yet about how the academic standards varied in the missionary and secular schools. There were elite schools resembling schools in France. They were reserved for the children of French citizens. These were mostly French families living in in Madagascar. Few Malagasy people were granted French citizendhip. Schools for the Malasay people emphasized practical and vocational education. They did not attempt to train students for positions of leadership as such positions were to be filled by the French. There was, however, a need for lower level civil servants. These individuals were trained at the écoles régionales (regional schools), the most important of which was the École le Myre de Villers in the capital. French educational policy began to change after World War II. The French began to provide more educational opportunities for Malagasy children. As a result, Madagascar when France granted independence (1960) had an educatiinal system similar to France.

Independence (1960- _

At independence, Madagascar had a system of education virtualy identical to that of metropolitan France (1960). The major difference was that at first attendance was only partial. The country gave a priority to building large numbers of schools after independence reaching 13,000 schools (1995). This is close to the amount needed for universal education. The country reached 65 percent enrillment of primary-age children. (1965) and attendance is now almost universal. The Madagascar education systems includes primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions. Primary education is for 5 years (ages 6-11 years of age). Secondary education is 7 years (age 11-18 years). Secondary educationnis divided into two sections, a junior and senior stage. School is compulsory through age 14 years which means through most of the junior secondary stage. The junior stage lasts 4 years and the senior stage 3 years. Students completing the junior stage receive certificates. The children can chose a vocational secondary school (collège professionelle / professional college) is the equivalent of the junior secondary stage. Those completing the senior secondary stage receive a baccalaureate. This is the equivalent of an American high school diploma. The collège technique (technical college) awards the baccalauréat technique (technical diploma) which is the equivalent of the senior level. The secondary system consists of 700 general education secondary schools and 80 lycées or classical secondary institutions. Attendance falls away after the mandatory years. Some 36 percent of the children continue their secondaty studies. The Madagscar Governmnt's steady expansion of the country's educational opportunities has had an impressive impact on Malagasy society. It has substantially increased the literacy rate of the population. It has increased from 39 percent (1966) to 50 percent (1980), and 80 percent (1991). [UNICCF] . Madagagasr also has a well established tertiary (university) system, Institutions of higher education include: the Universite d'Antananarivo, Universite de Mahajanga, Universite de Toamasina, and others. About 5 percebt iof thec children go on to universitt studies. Recent education reforms have sought to make a major shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered methods. The Government has cut back on education funding, perhaod in part because less construction is required. Education al spending has decklinedc from 33 percent of the national budget (early-1980s) to less than 20 percent (1993). We are not entirely sure why spending has declined so substantially.

Sources

UNICEF.





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Created: 11:50 PM 5/26/2012
Last updated: 11:48 PM 6/8/2013