Côte d’Ivoire Launches Digital Education for Young Learners as of 2025–2026 Academic Year
This initiative aims to familiarize toddlers with digital tools from their first years of learning, thus laying the foundations for digital citizenship and preparing students for the skills of tomorrow.
The Ivorian education system is about to reach an important milestone. After secondary school, Information and Communication Technologies in Education will be taught in pre-primary and elementary school starting at the beginning of the next school year. The announcement was made by the Minister of National Education and Literacy, Professor Mariatou Koné, during a working session held on Monday at the Lycée Technique d’Abidjan with the World Bank Vice President for West and Central Africa.
The implementation of this reform, which stems from the General Assembly on National Education and Literacy (EGENA), will benefit from the support of the World Bank. This initiative aims to familiarize toddlers with digital tools from their first years of learning, thus laying the foundations for digital citizenship and preparing students for the skills of tomorrow. This is one more step in adapting education to the requirements of a globalized and technologically advanced world.
It should be noted that Information and Communication Technologies in Education (ICTE) were introduced as a subject in secondary education in 2024. It is now a question of the MENA doing the same for pre-primary and primary education. The meeting also served as a framework for the presentation of the CIRA initiative. An ambitious program that federates the programs of the ministries of the education-training sector in order to strengthen their impact. The objective: to train 1.1 million young people. Minister Mariatou Koné, during the exchanges, stressed the importance of this synergy to maximize the impact and coherence of actions, while optimizing the employability of Ivorian youth.
The Minister also highlighted two other reforms, in particular:
- The establishment of fluid bridges between the different cycles of education (National Education, Technical Education, Higher Education), guaranteeing more coherent pathways for students.
- The training and professionalization of guidance inspectors, key players who are now better equipped to guide students and raise parents’ awareness of the choice of courses.
Continuing, she expressed her gratitude to the World Bank for its support in the implementation of the EGENA recommendations. The World Bank commends the Minister’s leadership, and the progress made in the education sector. The World Bank Vice President for West and Central Africa, Mr. Ousmane Diagana, expressed his deep gratitude to the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, particularly praising the leadership of the Ministers present, in particular Professor Mariatou Koné. He reaffirmed the role of the World Bank as a strategic partner, providing its expertise to support the implementation of this “vast program” of government.
Highlighting the significant increase in investment in Côte d’Ivoire, he insisted that human development is an absolute priority.
“We let us put resources in quantity for the formation of human capital.”
–Mr. Ousmane Diagana, Vice President for West and Central Africa, The World Bank.
He also welcomed the effectiveness of the programs resulting from the General Assembly of National Education and Literacy. The meeting was attended by the Minister of Technical Education, Vocational Training and Apprenticeship, Koffi N’Guessan, the Minister Touré Mamadou, in charge of Youth, as well as a representative of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
