Children’s schooling

How is the Ivorian school system organised?

The Ivorian school system has four stages: pre-school, primary school in six levels, lower secondary in four classes and upper secondary in three classes. School is compulsory for girls and boys aged 6 to 16, under Law No. 2015-635 of 17 September 2015 on education.

Pre-school takes children into the petite section from age 3, the moyenne section at 4 and the grande section at 5. Primary school starts at 6 in the first preparatory year (CP1) and continues through CP2, CE1, CE2, CM1 and CM2.

Secondary school comprises lower secondary, from 6e to 3e, then upper secondary, from 2nde to Terminale. Alongside general education, there are technical and vocational streams. All of this falls under the Ministry of National Education, Literacy and Technical Education; university falls under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Which class for my child? How classes compare with France and other countries

The class a child joins is decided first on their actual level, established by their report cards and often by a test set by the school. Class names look alike from one country to another, but they do not always mean the same year of study: don’t rely on the name alone.

Ivorian primary school has six levels, from CP1 to CM2. In the French system, for example, elementary school has five, from CP to CM2. An Ivorian “CE1” therefore does not necessarily match a French “CE1”. The safest guide remains age and the number of years of schooling already completed.

The list below gives the theoretical age, without repeating a year, calculated from entry into CP1 at 6. It is a rough guide, not an admission rule: the decision rests with the receiving school.

• Pre-school: petite section (3), moyenne section (4), grande section (5).
• Primary: CP1 (6), CP2 (7), CE1 (8), CE2 (9), CM1 (10), CM2 (11).
• Lower secondary: 6e (12), 5e (13), 4e (14), 3e (15).
• Upper secondary: 2nde (16), 1re (17), Terminale (18).

CEPE, BEPC, BAC: exams in Côte d’Ivoire

Three national exams mark a pupil’s schooling: the certificat d’études primaires élémentaires (CEPE, primary school certificate) at the end of CM2, the brevet d’études du premier cycle (BEPC, lower secondary certificate) at the end of 3e and the baccalauréat at the end of Terminale. They are organised by the Direction des examens et concours (DECO, examinations directorate) of the Ministry of National Education.

A pupil enrolled in a recognised school is pre-registered for the exam through their school’s official channel. An independent candidate pre-registers online on the DECO website and puts together their own file.

For the baccalauréat as an independent candidate, the Service public portal page asks in particular for the BEPC or an equivalent foreign diploma, and a certificate of attendance in 2nde, 1re and Terminale. A young person schooled abroad must therefore plan ahead: have their diplomas recognised before the registration period and check the current list of documents with the DECO.

Allocation to 6e and streaming into 2nde: how does it work?

Entry into 6e and progression to 2nde in public schools go through a national procedure run by the Direction de l’orientation et des bourses (DOB, guidance and grants directorate). Parents choose the schools they want themselves, from a mobile phone, during a period announced each year (in July in 2024).

In 2024, according to the ministry, allocation to 6e covered pupils who had passed the CEPE, with at least 85 points out of 170, an average of 10 out of 20. Streaming into general 2nde covered 3e pupils with an average of at least 10 out of 20 and an annual overall average of at least 8.50 out of 20. In 2026, the ministry began trialling new criteria for allocation to 6e that take socio-economic vulnerability and disability into account.

Results are published by the DOB. A pupil arriving from abroad will generally not have taken part in this procedure: ask the regional directorate of National Education where you live, or the school you are aiming for, how to go about their admission.

Public, private or international school: how do you choose?

There are three routes: public schools, private schools recognised by the State, secular or religious, and schools that follow another country’s curriculum. The first two prepare for the Ivorian exams; the third prepares for the diplomas of the country whose curriculum it follows.

A private general education school must be approved by the ministry, which publishes the list of public lower and upper secondary schools and that of private schools. Check that a school appears on these lists before paying anything.

For a school that presents itself as “French”, “international” or “bilingual”, ask in writing which curriculum it follows, which diploma it awards and which body recognises it. For schools following the French curriculum, the Agence pour l’enseignement français à l’étranger (the French agency for French education abroad) publishes the list of accredited schools: check the school’s name there.

• Continuity: a foreign curriculum sometimes makes arrival easier, but a later move into the Ivorian system will require an equivalence.
• Exams: a pupil at a school with a foreign curriculum does not sit the Ivorian BEPC or baccalauréat through their school.
• Fees: they vary widely; ask for a written breakdown (tuition, registration, canteen, transport, supplies).
• Distance and transport: factor in the daily journey time, often underestimated when moving back.

What documents do you need to enrol a child coming from abroad?

Put the file together before you leave, with the school the child is leaving: a missing document is much harder to obtain once in Côte d’Ivoire. Ask for the originals and make several copies.

If documents are in a language other than French, plan for their translation. For equivalence applications in higher education, the ministry requires a translation by a sworn translation firm; ask the DECO or the school what they accept for primary and secondary classes.

• Report cards for the last two or three years, including those for the current year.
• Certificate of attendance or leaving certificate issued by the school the child is leaving.
• Diplomas and certificates of success obtained abroad, with the transcripts.
• The child’s birth certificate and identity document (passport, national identity card or consular card).
• Health or vaccination record, often requested by schools.
• Recent passport photos and proof of address in Côte d’Ivoire, if the school asks for them.

Online registration and registration at the school

In general lower and upper secondary schools, online registration with the ministry is compulsory before any in-person registration at the school. It takes place each year before the start of the school year, with payment by mobile money.

For the 2024-2025 year, the ministry gave online registration fees of 6,000 CFA francs in public schools and 3,000 CFA francs in private schools. These fees come on top of each school’s own fees. Check the amount and dates for the current year in the ministry’s announcements.

The online registration receipt is then presented to the school. For 2023-2024, the ministry also asked, at in-person registration, for the CMU card or an official document for pupils over 16. In pre-school and primary school, registration takes place directly at the school, according to the ministry’s official calendar (pre-school registration began at the end of August in 2025).

Diploma equivalence in Côte d’Ivoire: whom should you contact?

The competent body depends on the level of the diploma. Up to and including the baccalauréat, equivalence falls under the DECO, at the Ministry of National Education. Beyond the baccalauréat, it falls under the Commission de reconnaissance et d’équivalence des diplômes (CREQ, diploma recognition and equivalence commission), at the Ministry of Higher Education.

For a diploma obtained abroad at or below baccalauréat level, the application is handled by the DECO’s equivalence and authentication department, in Abidjan-Plateau. The list of documents is published on the Service public portal.

For a foreign post-baccalauréat diploma, the file is sent to the equivalence office of the Direction de l’enseignement supérieur (higher education directorate). The ministry asks in particular for prior equivalence of the foreign baccalauréat from the DECO, translation of the diplomas by a sworn translation firm and, for diplomas from Canada or Europe, a handwritten power of attorney. The CREQ meets in sessions; a provisional certificate can be issued before the commission sits.

• Up to the BAC (DECO): handwritten request, diploma and transcript (original if possible and photocopy), identity document, colour passport photo, search authorisation, stamped envelope and reply coupon.
• After the BAC (CREQ): baccalauréat, intermediate diplomas, final diploma and all transcripts (original and two copies), full address of the institutions attended, ID card, CV, birth certificate extract, certificate of authenticity, sworn statement and application form.
• Fees: the Ministry of Higher Education page gives 10,000 CFA francs per application, then 5,000 CFA francs from the second one; check the current amount.

Arriving during the school year: transfer and settling in

Arriving during the school year is possible, but it must be prepared with the receiving school before you leave. The school will check available places, the school record and the child’s level, then tell you which administrative steps to take.

For a change of school within the public system, the ministry provides a pupil transfer platform, accessible from its online services page. For a child coming from abroad, the regional directorate of National Education where you live will tell you which procedure applies.

The difference in calendars matters. A child arriving from a country where the school year follows another rhythm may have to repeat part of the year. Go over with the school the assessments already taken and how the annual average will be calculated.

Language and the child’s adjustment

Teaching is in French. A child schooled until now in another language will often need to catch up, particularly in writing. Mention it at enrolment: the school may offer support or point you to suitable help.

Ivorian curricula are built on a competency-based approach and their own annual progressions. Even in French, methods, pace and expectations may differ from those of the school the child left. Keep in regular contact with the teachers during the first months.

Changing country also affects daily life: climate, journeys, friendships, attitudes to authority. Keep a complete copy of the foreign school record: it may be needed for an equivalence, further study or another move.

University in Côte d’Ivoire: guidance and enrolment for new baccalauréat holders

After the baccalauréat, entry to higher education goes through online pre-registration with the Ministry of Higher Education, opened each year after the results. The new graduate chooses, in order of preference, courses and institutions, public or private, compatible with their baccalauréat stream.

The ministry publishes a guidance guide for new baccalauréat holders and holds the Journées d’orientation du bachelier (guidance days) each year. Courses follow the Licence-Master-Doctorat (LMD, bachelor’s-master’s-doctorate) system. Continuing students re-register on a separate calendar, published in the ministry’s schedule.

For a private institution, check that the intended diploma is accredited: according to the ministry, accreditation applies to the diploma, not the institution, which may have accredited diplomas in certain subjects only. For a foreign baccalauréat, first have its equivalence established by the DECO, then ask the institution about its admission requirements.

• Pre-registration: online, within the deadlines announced by the ministry, with payment of fees.
• Grants: the ministry publishes the list of documents for grants in Côte d’Ivoire and outside Côte d’Ivoire.
• Change of institution: a student placed by the State in a private institution may, after at least one year, apply online to the Direction de l’enseignement supérieur for authorisation to transfer, on specific grounds.

Key points

• School is compulsory from 6 to 16; primary school has six levels, from CP1 to CM2.
• Place the child according to their level and age, not the name of their class abroad.
• Gather report cards, certificates and diplomas before leaving, as originals.
• Check that a private school is approved and that a foreign school is recognised by the body it cites.
• In lower and upper secondary school, online registration with the ministry comes before registration at the school.
• Equivalence up to the BAC: DECO. After the BAC: CREQ, at the Ministry of Higher Education.
• Dates, documents and fees change every year: check them with the official service.

Frequently asked questions