Training
Officially there is compulsory schooling for
children between six and twelve years. The school system
is based in French and the children start the six-year
primary school at the age of six. The state compulsory
school is free of charge.
One of the government's main goals is to improve
quality in the entire education sector, which has long
been neglected. In Benin there is a well-educated elite,
but the vast majority of Beninis lack access to good
education. Poor working conditions have led to countless
strikes among teachers.
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COUNTRYAAH:
Country facts of Benin, including geography profile, population statistics, and business data.
In recent years, the government has tried to increase
the number of girls in compulsory school and literacy
among Benin's girls has increased somewhat as more
people attend school. Among school-aged children, almost
100 percent of boys start today, but only 88 percent of
girls in primary school. About half of the boys and
one-third of the girls read on at a four-year
continuation stage, followed by another three years of
study.
Benin's first university was founded in 1970 and is
located in Cotonou. In 2001, a university was also
started in Parakou and in addition there are some
colleges in the country.
 FACTS - EDUCATION
Proportion of children starting primary
school
97.0 percent (2017)
Number of pupils per teacher in primary
school
44 (2017)
Reading and writing skills
32.9 percent (2012)
Public expenditure on education as a
percentage of GDP
18.8 percent (2016)
Public expenditure on education as a
percentage of the state budget
18.8 percent (2016)
2017
December
The government wants to ban strikes
In recent months the manifestations of President
Talon's economic reforms have prompted the government to
submit a bill that would make it illegal to strike in
the public sector. The bill is stopped by the
Constitutional Court in early 2018. The Court declares
that it violates the Constitution.
October
Continued protests against the government
October 20
Thousands of people are demonstrating in Cotonou's
economic capital against President Talon's economic
reforms. Demonstrated by trade unions, the protesters
demand a halt to the privatizations of, among other
things, state-owned companies and public hospitals
initiated by the Talon government. There is widespread
dissatisfaction with the cost of living rising, and
health care has been affected by a series of strikes in
recent months.
June
Grand fraudsters in court
June 29
One of Benin's largest trials is opening in Cotonou.
20 people are accused of cheating about 150,000 people
through a so-called Ponzi scam against their savings
against false promises of huge, quick profits. In total,
the fraudsters are believed to have cheated the
equivalent of close to SEK 2.3 billion between 2006 and
2010 (see Modern history). The government launched a
compensation program for the victims in 2010, but tens
of thousands of people are still waiting to get their
money back. A Ponzi scam is reminiscent of a pyramid
scheme, where the first investors make a profit on the
money coming in from later investors.
Demonstration against liberalization campaign
June 22
Thousands of people take part in a protest
demonstration in Cotonou against President Talon's
efforts to liberalize the country's economy. At the same
time, several unions are striking against the decision
to let a private company manage the country's largest
port.
Protests against economic reform
21 June
After just over a year as president, Patrice Talon is
increasingly criticized for his methods of revitalizing
Benin's economy. Opposition parties, community
organizations and trade unions object to what they
describe as "uncontrolled privatization" and "arbitrary
redundancies". Opposition politicians and media also
warn of the risk of conflicts of interest when Talon
reorganized the cotton market, where he built up a
billion fortune. He receives most criticism for the
decision to transfer the operation of the port of
Cotonou to a private company. The port is the engine of
Benin's economy and accounts for about 80 percent of the
state's tax revenue. In recent years, however, it has
lagged behind in the competition with major ports in
neighboring countries.
April
The president loses constitutional conflict
April 5
President Talon fails to get through his proposals
for amended constitution in Parliament. He is supported
by 60 members, while 22 are against and one casts his
vote. A four-fifths majority was required to change the
constitution.
March
The Minister of Defense resigns
March 27th
Defense Minister Candide Armand-Marie Azannai resigns
in protest of President Talon's attempt to change the
constitution. The proposal that the president should
only be allowed to sit for a single term of office is
seen by many as a laudable initiative on a continent
where many leaders try to cling to power at all costs.
But critics of the bill argue that a president who
cannot be re-elected could abuse his position because he
or she does not have to face the voters' judgment for a
second term. Talon also wants to impose a limit on
financial contributions to the political parties and
promote positive discrimination for more women in
politics.
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