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The Republic of Djibouti, a country of about 500,000 people, is situated on the northeastern coast of Africa, bordered by Somalia in the south, Ethiopia in the west, and Eritrea in the north. Until 1967 it was called French Somaliland by France, the colonial power that owned this small piece of land since the late 1800s when the European nations divided up the map of Africa between them. An extremely poor, hot, desert territory, its main significance lies in its strategic location on the western shore of the Gulf of Aden at the entrance to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, linking the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. After 1967 the territory was renamed the French Territory of the Afars and Issas, after the Ethiopian Afars and the Somali Issas, the two largely nomadic ethnic groups that make up the majority of the population. On June 27, 1977, the country gained independence from France and became the nation of Djibouti. The capital is also called Djibouti.

In 2001, the country's economy was based almost entirely on the port and on the railroad that links it with Addis Ababa in neighboring Ethiopia, making it a major source of Ethiopian trade. The official languages of Djibouti are Arabic and French; most of the people speak Afar or Somali though. Radio and television stations broadcast in French, Arabic, Somali, and Afar. Because of a defense agreement with the former colonial power, Djibouti hosts more than 3,000 French military personnel, including the Foreign Legion.

Traditionally, education in Djibouti, a largely Islamic country and the first in Africa to adopt this religion, is the domain of the Koranic schools where tuition is in Arabic. Koranic, community-based preschools are especially abundant; here children learn the Holy Koran, reading, writing, religious instruction, Islam, and how to perform prayers. These preschools, usually run by a sheikh and staffed by preschool teachers characterized by good memory, honesty, modesty and total dedication to their mission, do not necessarily emphasize skill-oriented activities. Private preschools serve less than 500 children, or 0.3 percent of the population (0 to 6 years of age). Tuition fees of about $1,000 a year are out of the reach of any but the most affluent parents.

Western education first arrived in Djibouti when Roman Catholic missionaries opened a school in 1884.

After World War II, state schools became increasingly popular. In 1964 Koranic instruction became part of the curriculum even in state schools and, by the end of the 1970s, enrollment in primary schools rose from approximately 1,100 pupils shortly after World War II to 13,740. Primary school attendance is compulsory and free; however, Djibouti struggles, as do many other African countries, with impossible demands made by the international banking community that the foreign debt be serviced even if this means the disintegration of health and education services and the consequent destruction of the futures of millions of children. Thus, the government does not monitor compliance with compulsory school attendance policy, and many of the schools are in poor condition and need upgrading. Most secondary schools are in the larger centers and the number of classrooms for secondary students is inadequate. Approximately 20 percent of children who start secondary school complete their education. Less than 50 percent of the population can read and write. Approximately 32 percent of girls are literate, as compared with 60 percent of boys; 62 percent of girls attend primary school compared with 73 percent of boys; and 23 percent of girls attend secondary school compared with 33 percent of boys. Overall, girls make up 36 percent of all secondary students. In 1998 the government committed itself to increasing the number of female students in the educational system to 50 percent. Significant progress has been made toward this goal in the primary grades.

At the end of 1999, the Ministry of Education held a national week-long symposium on education policy. Representatives of the education profession, parents, students, and other parties interested in revitalizing education attended this meeting. The people's and the government's obvious will and commitment to education will only be successful if the international community accepts co-responsibility.

The proud and free nomadic people who live in the interior of Djibouti are not yet fully integrated into the country's educational system. Ways are being sought to provide a basic education to these people, who are totally unimpressed with modern ways. Some, in fact, regard someone who "goes to town" as a person who doesn't want to take responsibility for his/her community. One of the possibilities suggested is that teachers would be found, perhaps from their midst, who would travel with the community and so provide an education that would give the children a wider choice in the future.

The school year runs from September to June and the language of instruction is French in public and Catholic schools and Arabic in Koranic schools. A Teachers' Training College offers two-year training programs. Since 1990 the British Council English Language Project for Teachers has conducted a program to help indigenous teachers of English in secondary schools become more competent in the teaching of English. Through independent study units, set texts, and face-to-face workshops, courses in teaching English language methods are conducted.

On October 14, 2000, in time for the beginning of the 2000-2001 academic year, Pôle Universitaire de Djibouti, Djibouti's new university, opened its doors to its first students. Initially, courses in the arts will be offered, but there were plans to expand the academic curriculum in the near future. The language of instruction is French.

Djibouti's education expenditure is 2.5 percent of the Gross National Product. Newspapers, books, and magazines, mainly in French, are expensive and not readily available except to those affiliated with the international embassies.

Djibouti hosts approximately 100,000 refugees, illegal immigrants, and displaced persons, about one-fifth of the population, from Ethiopia and Somalia, the two countries on its borders wracked by civil war, drought, and famine. As members of the larger community, they share in the health and education services of the country. However, the sheer number of people moving into Djibouti places a heavy burden on the already fragile economy. Several agencies, including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the International Labor Office based in Geneva, Switzerland, have started educational programs to help especially refugee women who, often without their men to help them take care of their children, need to see to the daily needs of their families. Vocational training centers that provide auto-mechanics and electrical installation for males and handicraft and tailoring for females attempt to ease dependence on outside aid and offer limited opportunities for gainful employment.

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The Republic of Djibouti, a country of about 500,000 people, is situated on the northeastern coast of Africa, bordered by Somalia in the south, Ethiopia in the west, and Eritrea in the north.

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OVERVIEW

Out of school rates for primary school children have nearly halved since 2000 and there has also been a slower, but significant, decline at the lower secondary level. Despite this, out-of-school rates at all levels remain high, particularly at the pre-primary level, where coverage is almost negligible.

In total in 2012, 87,399 children were out of school from pre-primary to lower secondary, including 34,739 primary school aged children (37%) and 33,651 lower secondary school aged children (48%).

At particular risk of being excluded from school are: nomads, poor, internally displaced people, refugees, the homeless, girls and children affected by conflict and natural disasters. Some of these at risk populations are not Djiboutian nationals and therefore not being given priority.

BARRIERS

Poverty, particularly among families who rely on children either for generating additional income or to help with house chores.

Low quality of education and facilities, including overcrowding in classes.

Social attitudes that see no or limited value in education, particularly for girls. This is compounded by the low quality of education on offer in some cases.

Preschool education is not compulsory and in addition, services are almost entirely private and fee paying and found only in Djibouti City.

There are few services for disabled children, and disabilities are often undiagnosed.

Some children lack birth certificates, particularly in rural areas and among immigrant and refugee groups.

POLICIES AND STRATEGIES

The education strategy 2010-2019 aims to strengthen education quality, improve access capacities and reinforce institutional management.

Public or community-based preschool education programs being initiated with the Education Action Plan 2014-2016.

Since a large portion of the state budget is already allocated to education, new interventions targeting marginalized populations must be highly cost-effective.

Non-formal education centers provide education to homeless and other vulnerable children who have passed the entry age to primary education, or those without birth certificate.

The Ministry of Education is currently building and renovating classrooms, and also piloting special education classes.

There is a monitoring system for children with educational difficulties that should reduce drop out.

Article 14 of the General Education Law, states that children regularly residing in the Republic of Djibouti should be in school (irrespective of their residential or other status).

Social support being provided to reduce the cost of education for families (school kits).

RECOMMENDATIONS

Improve the collection and sharing of population data among government, multilateral agencies and other stakeholders. This should better reflect the educational situation of refugees and mobile populations.

Ensure than planning is based on all available information with published medium-term spending frameworks and up-to-date budget requests.

Publish available information on disabilities in order to assist with social mobilization; improve data on this issue, including through systematic tests at the start of the first school year; and redeploy trained teachers to classes with disabled children.

Implement Article 14 of the General Law. This includes considering informal education for children living and working on the streets and developing special measures to be piloted among nomadic populations.

Reduce or remove birth registration fees, simplify procedures and set up mobile courts to improve access.

Continue to further promote the quality of education which would promote the social representation of education.

Insure that more priority is given to the more underserved and vulnerable population groups.

FACT SHEETS

Factsheet (ENG) Factsheet (FR) Factsheet (AR)

The Djibouti Country Report will be uploaded at a later date. For further information, contact UNICEF Djibouti.

Resources

Country profiles

Country reports

Stories & News

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Out of school rates for primary school children have nearly halved since 2000 and there has also been a slower, but significant, decline at the lower secondary level. Despite this, out-of-school rates at all levels remain high, particularly at the pre-primary level, where coverage is almost negligible.

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ISA Djibouti
International School of Africa (ISA) Djibouti, East Africa, is a member of the Learner's World International Schools (LWIS) Network that is managed by School Development Consultants (SDC).

ISA is committed to providing local and expatriate families with the following:

An English-medium international curriculum compatible with the demands of emerging knowledge-based societies.

A trilingual curriculum: English, French and Arabic.

The integration of technology in teaching and learning.

A holistic approach to education through the development of the whole child.

Qualified multinational teachers and administrators to support the delivery of the international curriculum.

A state of the art purpose-built campus with ICT, arts and sports facilities.

International credibility though membership in an international school network, the Learner's World International Schools (LWIS) and accreditation with a reputable international agency.

Latest Teaching Jobs

No current openings. Click here to view other positions from other jobs.

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ISA Djibouti International School of Africa (ISA) Djibouti, East Africa, is a member of the Learner's World International Schools (LWIS) Network that is managed by School Development Consultants (SDC). ISA is committed to providing local and expatriate families with the following: An English-medium international curriculum compatible with the demands of emerging knowledge-based societies.

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https://m.facebook.com/MENFOP.cripen/

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The mission of ISD is to provide students in Djibouti a world class education in English focused on

Discovery, Creativity, and Problem Solving

to develop noble-hearted, global citizens.
Check out our special afternoon Monthly Calendar (sports days, community events, after school activities, vacations, etc) English Club for English language learners. Lessons combined with fun activities help kids learn quickly and use what they learn!

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The mission of ISD is to provide students in Djibouti a world class education in English focused on Discovery, Creativity, and Problem Solving to develop noble-hearted, global citizens. Check out our special afternoon Monthly Calendar (sports days, community events, after school activities, vacations, etc) English Club for English language learners .

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With foreign aid received from US, Djibouti has seen improvements to education system. Learn six facts about education in Djibouti.

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World Rank : 5280

Country Rank : 1 (Web Ranking in djibouti)

Founded in 2006. Université de Djibouti is a Public higher education university located in djibouti city, djibouti, djibouti, africa. The university awards degree in arts & humanities, business & social sciences, Internationally Université de Djibouti university ranked 5280 in the world. It has ranked 1 in djibouti. This 13 years old higher education university admission process is Not reported. It provides admission to Men and Women (coed) and Yes, international applicants are welcome to apply for admission.

Acronym : UD

Founded : 2006

Important : (Yes) marked indicates university may be offering any one or all degrees such as PreBachelor, Bachelor, Master or Doctoral degree in that area of studies.
The above shown matrix is only the indicative and it may or may not be up-to-date or complete. Please contact or visit university official website for the complete information regarding areas of studies and the currently offered courses

Control Type : Public

Entity Type : Not reported

Library : Yes

Housing : Not reported

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World Rank : 5280 Country Rank : 1 (Web Ranking in djibouti) Founded in 2006. Université de Djibouti is a Public higher education university located in djibouti city, djibouti, djibouti, africa. The university awards degree in arts & humanities, business & social sciences, Internationally Université de Djibouti university ranked 5280 in the world.

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In an effort to move beyond the past of its former French institutional structure, in 2000 the Djiboutian education system underwent a comprehensive overhaul. That year the National Assembly mandated the education of all children through the age of 16 by establishing a nationwide programme with its own textbooks, teachers, university and degree programmes. By 2016 the government had succeeded in providing 80% of the population with access to education. Efforts to close the gap for the remaining 20% continue to be the object of significant outreach projects on behalf of the government in tandem with international developments organisations, such as the World Bank and UNICEF. Beyond securing universal education, the current priorities of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (Ministère de l'Education Nationale et de la Formation Professionnelle, MENFOP) concern the evaluation and improvement of teaching staff, the incorporation of ICT into classrooms, and strengthening technical and vocational education systems. To achieve these goals, 24% of the national budget was allocated to education in 2018, while the country continues to host refugee and migrants populations, offering them social services, such as accommodation, school and health care.

The current system is already running at overcapacity, and in 2016 a number of primary students saw their schooling pushed back by a year due to the lack of physical space. A dual flow system, which sees teachers working two shifts per day, was implemented to address the issue, however, with the school-aged population expected to increase by 3.5% per year in the medium-term, the need for more physical classrooms will continue to grow.

The Education Action Programme 2017-19, initiated by MENFOP and supported by the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Education and UNICEF, seeks to address the pressing issues of over-enrolment and limited facilities. With a budget of $26m, authorities are working to eliminate double shifts for teachers, prioritise the inclusion of vulnerable populations into the education system and generalise preschool programmes across the country.

Additional initiatives to address inadequate capacity led the government to announce that it would build 153 new classrooms and refurbish 541 existing ones in the short term. This will aid in reducing classroom sizes, which at the primary level average around 50 students per class, according to MENFOP. Djibouti's Strategy of Accelerated Growth and Promotion of Employment 2015-19 plan, which is the first operational deployment of the Djibouti Vision 2035 development programme, makes it a goal to have no more than 40 students per class by 2019.

International Support

A number of international development agencies have come to support Djibouti in its ambition to make quality education accessible to its entire population. To that end, with the support of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), in March 2017 MENFOP launched a project to strengthen bilingual education. Through the project, six new language schools, including 118 new classrooms and six bilingual language laboratories, will be constructed with an initial capacity of 3500 students to be expanded to 9000 by 2019. Such facilities will be distributed throughout the country to increase opportunities in Djibouti's outer regions and will cater to students of all socio-economic levels.

Meanwhile, the World Bank's Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Management of the Education System in Djibouti project, first introduced in 2012 and aimed at reinforcing the capacity of MENFOP, was extended another year beyond its initial closing date of August 2017. The intervening year saw 30 targeted primary and middle schools receiving grants of between $50,000 and $150,000 in order to implement school improvement initiatives. The needs of each school are identified by on-the-ground school management committees composed of directors, local teachers and parents, and community representatives. Through this programme, from June 2017 to March 2018, 90% of school departments developed and approved annual work plans, 672 students gained access to didactic equipment in technical colleges and 15 partnerships with private sector firms were made to train or recruit students.

In June 2018 the World Bank also launched the five-year Support for Women and Youth Entrepreneurship Project, devoting $15m from its International Development Association fund to support over 6000 potential youth and female entrepreneurs in Djibouti and over 2300 small and medium-sized enterprises. Given that the current estimated rate of unemployment for those under the age of 30 is 70% and that only 39% of women are active in the workforce, this investment in skills-based education is intended to bring more youth and women into the workforce.

School of Excellence

The government has also committed itself to the cultivation of future leadership. In September 2017 authorities opened the designated School of Excellence (SoE) aimed at identifying young talent at the primary-school level. The Chinese government built and equipped the institution, which currently educates 125 students across five classrooms taught in English, Arabic and French. The SoE will also cooperate with Dubai-based investment group Sahara Global's International School of Africa, which launched in 2016 as a bilingual and digitally orientated school. The Dubai facility will share its expertise with and provide pedagogical training to the Djibouti SoE. In order to acquire the digital and computer technologies required for the SoE, in October 2017 MENFOP signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China's Haier Group. The agreement will see Haier Group provide the equipment for the school's digital curriculum, with the potential for Haier to build a manufacturing plant at a later date.

Digital Initiative

Integrating ICT into the academic lives of students has become another priority of MENFOP, with public schools incorporating new information technologies since 2015. The 2018/19 academic year will mark the fourth anniversary of introducing tablets in the country's primary schools. While middle and secondary schools have integrated smart classrooms and laptops in order to acquaint students with digital technologies.

"MENFOP is currently setting up a digital policy for effective control of the education system and optimal integration of new technologies in the learning-teaching process. The dissemination to all schools will be done gradually," Mouna Ismaël Abdou, general inspector of MENFOP, told OBG.

The use of ICT in higher education was the main topic at the Conference on Higher Education, Policy and Research, which took place in Djibouti in May 2017 and included delegates from Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. In addition to recognising the significance of ICT to the promulgation of research and development, the conference recommended that the region create a cross-border consortium of open distance and e-learning systems to pool localised information and increase accessibility to research.

Refugee Schooling

Djibouti is home to approximately 27,800 refugees, the majority of whom are from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and more recently, Yemen. While refugee children are five times more likely to be out of school than the global average, according to UNICEF, Djibouti's government has committed to ensuring that refugee children are afforded the same educational opportunities as its own citizens. In 2017, 67% of the 7566 school-aged refugee children in Djibouti were enrolled in educational programmes taught in English and Arabic. The education plan for refugee children was designed in collaboration with the US Embassy in Djibouti City.

In December 2017 President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh signed into law two presidential decrees that mandate the inclusion of refugee children into the national education system, with the greater goal of facilitating the socio-economic inclusion of refugees in society. These actions are in line with the country's commitment to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, a policy vision that was unanimously signed by all 193 nations present at the at the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in September 2016 in New York.

Shortly after the implementation of the decrees, the country hosted ministers from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, a regional trade bloc composed of eight nations from the Horn of Africa, for the First Regional Ministerial Conference on Refugee Education. Here Djiboutian officials urged its regional neighbours to pursue similar policies concerning the education of refugees.

Teacher Training

MENFOP has recognised the importance of qualified teachers, and international aid organisations have played a major role in providing training sessions to local educators. From 2010 to 2014, the US Agency for International Development, together with MENFOP, assisted in developing the national teacher-training plan, training over 1200 primary school teachers in the process, while also establishing 12 school libraries and providing job training to 120 out-of-school youths.

The ministry's Training Centre for Teachers of Basic Education (Centre de Formation des Enseignants de l'Enseignement Fondamental, CFEEF) has also been active in engaging with international institutions to improve the pedagogical expertise of the local academic community. The CFEEF plays a central role in the education system by providing skills-based development support, and educational and vocational training for local teachers and academic staff. In November 2016 the CFEEF and the University of Montpellier established a five-year partnership with the objective of training teachers and academic faculty. Financed by the French Development Agency, the partnership programme will train teachers over a series of 44 sessions in its first two years and support the operation of a new training centre for the next three.

"We attach great importance to the training and mentoring of teachers and principals because they are key players in the education system," Abdou told OBG. "Broad policy reform is under way at MENFOP, particularly in assessment, professional ethics and accountability. We are aiming to make efficient use of the staff at the ministry to improve the quality of Djibouti's education system."

Higher Education

The University of Djibouti (UoD), which was established in 2006 in Djibouti City, remains the only public institute of higher education in the country. The UoD comprises five faculties and two technological institutes, with 10,000 registered students in the 2017/18 academic year. In February 2018 a second campus in Balbala was added.

The private higher education sector is comparatively underdeveloped in terms of investment. However, institutions such as the Higher Institute of Commerce and Business Administration (Institut Supérieur de Comptabilité et Administrations des Enterprises, ISCAE), founded in 2011 as the first private institute of higher education in the country, are moving in to fill the needs of the labour market. The government is currently preparing legislation regarding standards for such institutions so that they may address student demand. "There seems to be a lack of understanding as to the importance that private higher education can bring," Choukri Abdillahi Mohamed, director of the ISCAE, told OBG. "As the UoD cannot accept every single student graduating from high school in Djibouti, private education can help relieve the student load and better respond to the demands of the market. By the early to mid-2020s, I believe that there will be legislation that will allow us to better move forward."

On an administrative level, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, MESR) has been active in confirming the ratification and implementation of the 2014 Addis Ababa Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and Other Academic Qualifications in Higher Education in African States. The agreement seeks to encourage inter-regional and international cooperation by standardising academic qualifications and facilitating the movement of African students, teachers and researchers between Africa's higher education institutions. At the May 2017 Conference on Higher Education, Policy and Research, Quality and Future Challenges for East Africa and the Indian Ocean, held in Djibouti, it was decided that the country would work to encourage the ratification of the Addis Convention by other African states.

Foreign Education Centres

In terms of international support, Turkey has come to play an increasingly important role in recent years. In March 2017 the Maarif Foundation, which was established in 2016 to offer Turkish education to the international community, signed an MoU with Djiboutian authorities to establish a series of schools in the country, ranging from preschools to high schools. In addition to renovating a pre-existing building into a kindergarten and elementary school, which is expected to open in September 2018, an educational complex focusing on science and technology is planned for construction over a 50,000-sq-metre plot of land. Turkish universities have also committed themselves to offering 50 scholarships to Djiboutian students.

In terms of higher education, Turkey's Istanbul Technical University (Istanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, ITU) signed an MoU in 2016 with Djiboutian administrators to partner its engineering faculty with the UoD, which in March 2018 inaugurated new electrical and construction engineering departments. Shortly after, in May 2018, the MESR signed a three-year cooperative agreement with Turkey spanning higher education and research development. With the commencement of the 2018/19 academic year, members of the ITU faculty will initiate courses in artificial intelligence, maritime engineering and transport logistics.

Beyond Turkey, in April 2017 Djibouti was one of 15 countries that banded together to create the African Alliance for the Development of Vocational Training. With the backing of the IDB, the alliance is expected to facilitate the development of human capital, particularly with regard to vocational training for young people. MENFOP also told OBG that it is in negotiations with the Chinese government to implement a cooperative technical education programme.

Technical & Vocational Training

Support for technical education and entrepreneurship has come from both public and foreign sources. The government is seeking to encourage a public-private network aimed at identifying the skills most critical to the development of the services sector. Particularly, MENFOP is concerned with developing competencies in port-related industries, construction and tourism, in line with the Vision 2035 development plan. Meanwhile, the General Directorate of National Education and Vocational Training, which falls under the remit of the MENFOP, is running 11 institutions dedicated to the development of professional skills, including seven technical high schools and four higher vocational training centres. These institutions are based on the Tunisian and Moroccan models of technical training.

Djibouti has made significant progress in incorporating refugee children into the country's national education system, and is engaging with the global community to build capacity in the sector. Efforts to incorporate ICT into school settings and democratise technological access are also likely to remain an immediate focus, as officials continue extending educational opportunities to all students in Djibouti. However, the primary medium-term challenge will be how to boost the country's technical and vocational training at the secondary and tertiary levels to meet the demands of a growing economy.

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Djibouti progresses in providing improved education outcomes with the help of international partners

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In an effort to move beyond the past of its former French institutional structure, in 2000 the Djiboutian education system underwent a comprehensive overhaul. That year the National Assembly mandated the education of all children through the age of 16 by establishing a nationwide programme with its own textbooks, teachers, university and degree programmes.

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• Located directly north of Somalia and east of Ethiopia on Africa’s eastern coast, Djibouti is a small country.

• Djibouti is home to the U.S.’s largest African military base. Close ties to the U.S. have fortunately brought Djibouti foreign aid, which the country has put toward the welfare of its citizens, including improvements to education.

• In 2000 an education reform was initiated with goals of improving access, relevance and quality.

• Access remains to be the biggest challenge.

• More recently, in 2010, the government released another plan for educational improvements, spanning from 2010 to 2019.

•Some of the objectives included in this plan are to achieve 100 percent primary education enrolment by 2019, achieve gender equality by 2019 and to develop preschool education in collaboration with the private sector, communities and local institutions.

• Djibouti’s education is a 5-4-3 meaning primary or elementary school is five years, lower secondary or middle school is four years and upper secondary or high school is three years. Students in Djibouti begin school at age six.

• Although Djibouti is working toward gender equality in education, wide gaps between males and females still exist.

• Arabic and French are the official languages in the country. French is used as the medium of instructions in schools, both primary and secondary, as well as in businesses and in the government. In school, Arabic is taught as the first language. However, only a few percentage of the population are literate in the country’s official languages. Only the elite are well-versed and can communicate using the French language, while the rest of the Djibouti people speak their native languages.

• To be able to communicate well with other cultures, teachers in Djibouti are undergoing language trainings to learn the English language. These trainings are done for them to be competent in the English language and for them to teach their students and fellowmen as well.

• 2007 There are 81 public primary schools, 24 registered private primary schools, 12 secondary schools, and two vocational schools in Djibouti.

• In Djibouti, teacher attrition is very high and new teachers are not recruited enough. In addition, the local teacher-training institute is unable to graduate more than 130 teachers per year. Working with Djibouti's Ministry of Education, USAID:

• Developed a national teacher training plan and trained over 1,200 primary school teachers,

• created a strategy to improve access and retention of girls in school,

• revised textbooks using a gender lens,

• linked secondary school girls with university mentors,

• and supported the creation of parent-teacher associations to identify school priorities.

•Project AIDE has developed MENESUP’s capacity to deliver market-driven vocational education and functional literacy training for out-of-school youth, utilizing local training centres with support from the government, nongovernmental organizations and innovative public–private partnerships developed by FHI 360. The partnerships link non formal training programs to private-sector firms that provide internships and on-the-job training for youth, particularly girls.

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In FY 2010, USAID launched a four-year education program assisting the Ministry of Education to develop a national teacher-training plan; the program trained over 1,200 primary-school teachers. To promote the education of girls in primary and middle schools, USAID partners revised textbooks for gender neutrality, and developed a mentoring program for girls. USAID also supported Parent-Teacher Associations; provided small grants to establish a dozen school libraries; strengthened governance in over 100 school management committees; helped produce the Ministry of Education's Annual Statistics Manual with improved data and graphics; and provided job training to 120 out-of-school youth (half of whom were women). Working with Djibouti's Ministry of Education, USAID:

developed a national teacher training plan and trained over 1,200 primary school teachers,

created a strategy to improve access and retention of girls in school,

revised textbooks using a gender lens,

linked secondary school girls with university mentors,

and supported the creation of parent-teacher associations to identify school priorities.

USAID also strengthened governance among 112 school management committees, helping produce the Ministry's annual statistical manual with improved data and graphics, and providing job training to out-of-school youth.

A solicitation for a USAID-funded Djibouti Early Grade Reading Activity is currently under procurement. The Activity will build upon USAID's experience and lessons learned in Djibouti to address reading deficiencies in primary education. In addition to improving reading instruction, the project will also enhance community participation in early grade reading and improve the policy environment to support evidence-based reading instruction.

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Education | Djibouti | U.S. Agency for International Development

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In FY 2010, USAID launched a four-year education program assisting the Ministry of Education to develop a national teacher-training plan; the program trained over 1,200 primary-school teachers. To promote the education of girls in primary and middle schools, USAID partners revised textbooks for gender neutrality, and developed a mentoring program for girls.

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GPE and UNGEI welcome the G7's spotlight on girls' education and gender equality, and the group's support to the new Gender at the Center Initiative.

The GPE Secretariat and the whole GPE family of partners mourn the loss of a dear friend and colleague, Djibril Ndiaye Diouf, who passed away on August 22, 2019.

The G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council released its Recommendations for advancing gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women and Call to Action in advance of the G7 Summit in Biarritz...

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2018 program development grant for Djibouti

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GPE and UNGEI welcome the G7's spotlight on girls' education and gender equality, and the group's support to the new Gender at the Center Initiative. The GPE Secretariat and the whole GPE family of partners mourn the loss of a dear friend and colleague, Djibril Ndiaye Diouf, who passed away on August 22, 2019.

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Washington, D.C., July 29, 2019 - A new package of education support for Djibouti includes integrating refugee schools into the country's mainstream education system. New GPE funds will also leverage significant additional donor financing for a results-based program that focuses on improving efficiency, equity and learning outcomes for the country's most vulnerable children.

The Global Partnership for Education is providing US$10 million, half from the innovative GPE Multiplier. The funding includes US$3 million that will only be released when agreed performance benchmarks are met. Co-financing from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) (US$15m) and the Qatar-based Educate a Child (US$3.8m) brings total financing to almost US$28.8 million.

The funds will support pre-school learning, help enroll and retain more children, especially girls, in primary and lower secondary schools and improve the quality of education by upgrading teaching practices and learning materials. The World Bank is GPE's grant agent in Djibouti; UNICEF is the coordinating agency for the education sector.

The funding will also support the government in making public schools more inclusive for refugee children and taking on the operation of schools in refugee settlements formerly run by NGOs or the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. The goal is to include these schools in the national education system in line with the pledge in the Education Action Plan of the Djibouti Declaration.

" At the heart of GPE's approach to strengthening education systems in developing countries is the idea that when partners work together toward a common challenge we can accelerate progress," said Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer, Global Partnership for Education. " The GPE Multiplier is an excellent tool to help countries attract and confirm co-financing from partners like the World Bank and Educate a Child to help the Government of Djibouti ensure that more children have access to a quality education, including refugee children."

The GPE Multiplier is an innovative finance instrument that helps countries catalyze more and better investment in education by providing US$1 for every US$3 countries raise in new funding from other sources. Since 2018, 15 countries have secured more than US$132 million in Multiplier allocations, mobilizing more than US$546 million in reported co-financing in support of quality education.

"This support from GPE, the World Bank and Educate a Child will go a long way to help more children in Djibouti get the schooling that ultimately transforms their lives and the country as a whole," said Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud, Djibouti's Minster of National Education and Professional Training. "It tells us that we are not alone on this essential journey to educate our children and those fleeing conflict from neighboring countries."

Prior to this new grant, Djibouti has received a total of more than US$16 million from GPE since 2006 to address the country's significant education challenges. While there is progress, Djibouti continues to face wide disparities - driven largely by gender, geography, poverty and disability - in access to, completion of and performance at all school levels. Girls are much less likely than boys to complete primary and lower secondary school. Also, among refugee children living in Djibouti - mostly fleeing crises in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Yemen - only about four in ten children of primary and lower-secondary school age are enrolled in schools.

US$7 million makes up the fixed portion of GPE's grant allocation for Djibouti's efforts to raise quality standards for pre-school education through investments in teachers and physical infrastructure. It will also go towards raising enrolment and retention rates at the primary and lower secondary education levels to benefit children from rural areas, girls, students with special needs and refugees. The grant also supplements the country's own investments to improve the quality of school assessments and the modernization of the education management information system.

GPE will provide Djibouti with the remaining US$3 million of its total allocation once the country reaches several milestones, including: a reduction of the grade 5 repetition rate (the number of children who repeat that grade because of low learning performance) from 24 percent to 14 percent; a rise in the gender parity index (that is, a narrowing of disparities between girls and boys) for enrollment in lower secondary; and an improvement in the percentage of grade 2 students who achieve the minimum learning standard.

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Related content: Djibouti webpage
About the Global Partnership for Education
The Global Partnership for Education supports close to 70 developing countries to ensure that every child receives a quality basic education, prioritizing the poorest, the most vulnerable and those living in countries affected by fragility or conflict. GPE mobilizes financing for education and supports developing countries to build effective education systems founded on evidence-based planning and policies.
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Global Partnership for Education support to strengthen Djibouti's education system to also include refugee children

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Washington, D.C., July 29, 2019 - A new package of education support for Djibouti includes integrating refugee schools into the country's mainstream education system. New GPE funds will also leverage significant additional donor financing for a results-based program that focuses on improving efficiency, equity and learning outcomes for the country's most vulnerable children.

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The government of Djibouti recognizes education as essential for growth and human development. As a result, the government has placed education at the center of its development policies. In 2000, an education reform was initiated with the goal of improving access, quality, and relevance.

Despite progress in increasing access and coverage in education, access to education continues to be one of the country's major challenges. Other challenges include quality, the availability of learning materials, and disparities due to gender, geographic areas, and socio-economic status.

A new package of education support for Djibouti includes integrating refugee schools into the country's mainstream education system.

The Global Partnership for Education Secretariat approved US$200,000 to prepare a new education program in Djibouti.

Development objective: improving the learning environment and instructional practices of teachers in primary school.

Disbursements: US$3,798,499

The GPE grant of US$3.8 million is focused on improving the learning environment and instructional practices of teachers in primary school.

The three components of the project are:

Increase access and improve the learning environment through the construction and equipment of one school and the rehabilitation and expansion of six selected schools in four targeted areas in rural areas

Improve student performance through investments in teaching and learning materials, as well as training for teachers, pedagogic counselors, school directors and inspectors, developing a student assessment policy, and piloting a community-based model for pre-school service provision in partnership with UNICEF.

To provide supplemental financing to the existing project management unit, SGP, complementing to other capacity building and training.

The ministry of national education and vocational training manages the project in partnership with the World Bank as the grant agent and UNICEF as the coordinating agency.

Source: World Bank project appraisal document. December 2013

All amounts are in US dollars.

Grant type

Years

Allocations

Disbursements

Grant agent

Program implementation

2019-2024

10,000,000*

IBRD

2014-2018

3,798,499

3,798,499

IBRD
Completion report

2010-2013

3,998,074

3,998,073

IBRD
Completion report

2006-2010

8,000,000

8,000,000

IBRD

Sector plan development

2017

212,517

-

UNICEF

2013

161,534

161,534

UNICEF

Program development

2018

200,000

IBRD

2013

200,000

198,941

IBRD

TOTAL

26,570,624

16,157,048

* includes a regular implementation grant of US$5 million and a Multiplier grant of US$5 million

The graphs below show overall progress in the education sector in Djibouti. Download this PDF to view the country's progress on 16 results framework indicators monitored by the GPE Secretariat.

Source: World Bank - Education Data
Data on education are compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics from official responses to surveys and from reports provided by education authorities in each country.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The government of Djibouti recognizes education as essential for growth and human development. As a result, the government has placed education at the center of its development policies. In 2000, an education reform was initiated with the goal of improving access, quality, and relevance.