Training

The level of education is low and the majority of Guineans cannot read and write. Illiteracy is higher among women than among men and has increased in recent years. There is a great lack of teachers and schools. About four children out of five children start their six-year primary school at the age of seven. Only about one in three pupils continue to higher stages (lycée) of four and three years respectively.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF, almost every third student leaves school early, often because they have to contribute to the family’s livelihood. More boys than girls participate in teaching. The girls are especially few in the countryside. In order to prevent the spread of infection during the Ebola epidemic (see Social conditions), the schools were closed during the first half of 2014, and reopened only in early 2015. Some students were offered extra teaching in French and mathematics via radio so that they could catch what they missed.

• COUNTRYAAH: Country facts of Guinea, including geography profile, population statistics, and business data.

The classes are large, with an average of 44 students. Formally, the school is free of charge, but parents must pay for school uniforms, materials and trips to and from the school. The teaching takes place in eight different local languages.

Teacher salaries are low and it is not always the school staff get paid on time. In some cases, teachers have been completely without pay for more than six months.

Independent schools have been allowed since 1984. Muslim schools are found throughout the country. The Qur’an schools, are not part of the state education system, but in some cases they offer education equivalent to primary school. Some new Qur’an schools, so-called madrasas, also exist, and are run with support from, among others, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf states. However, they only teach Arabic and Islam. Many of the children who attend there also participate in the education within the general school system. There are also some Christian schools in Conakry that did not receive any government support for their activities.

No religious education is given in the state schools.

Guinea has two universities, one in Conakry and one in Kankan. There are also some colleges.

Many students apply abroad, especially to France.

• Topmbadirectory: Offers information about politics, geography, and known people in Guinea.

FACTS – EDUCATION

Proportion of children starting primary school

76.8 percent (2016)

Number of pupils per teacher in primary school

47 (2016)

Reading and writing skills

32.0 percent (2014)

Public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP

14.4 percent (2017)

Public expenditure on education as a percentage of the state budget

14.4 percent (2017)

2015

December

WHO declares Guinea free from Ebola

The World Health Organization WHO declares that Guinea is now free from Ebola. In total, the disease has claimed more than 2,500 deaths in Guinea since the epidemic began just over two years earlier.

August

The EU threatens to withdraw financial aid

The EU threatens to withdraw its € 140 million financial aid to the Guinean elections if it is not held by 31 October.

Settlement on local politicians clear

In the middle of the month, representatives of the political opposition say they have agreed with the president to appoint new mayors and representatives in local political assemblies before the election. A formal agreement is signed on 20 August. It gives the opposition representation in 128 of Guinea’s 343 districts.

July

Security forces are accused of human rights violations

The human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the Guinean security forces of excessive force during the anti-government protests in April and May. According to HRW, police and soldiers have, among other things, committed group rape and shot at least and shot at protesters. two protesters have been killed and 10 have been shot.

The former junta leader is prosecuted in his absence

Former Junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara is charged in his absence. The decision is handed to him by two judges and a prosecutor who interrogated him in Burkina Faso, where he lives on the run. Prosecution is brought after the International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor visited Conakry.

June

“Malaria requires more deaths than Ebola”

At the same time, data from a US research institute, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggest that many more people have died of malaria than Ebola during the epidemic, due to people not seeking care for fear of suffering of Ebola. By mid-June, over 2,400 people in Guinea have died in Ebola.

Prosecution against former junta members

A Guinean court is prosecuting two former junta members, Mamadouba “Toto” Camara and Mathurin Bangoura, for their role in the massacre of opposition supporters in 2009 (see September 2009).

March

The IMF writes off the shoulder

The IMF decides to write off Guinea’s debt by almost $ 30 million.

A state of emergency is announced

At the end of the month, President Condé announces a “health emergency” in five areas in the south and southwest of the country. This means, among other things, that hospitals and clinics where new cases are discovered in quarantine and that strict rules are introduced for funerals.

Violence against women is increasing

Reports indicate that violence against women has increased in the wake of the Ebola epidemic. The fact that the epidemic hit so hard on healthcare professionals has led to a lot of other health care activities having stopped. Guinea has also suffered a setback in the fight against Ebola, as several new cases have been reported during the month.

Date clear for presidential election

The Election Commission announces presidential elections until October 11. At the same time, it postpones the local elections, which should have been held in 2014, to 2016. The opposition is protesting against the decision as it fears that many local power holders will work for Condé ahead of the upcoming elections. It threatens to boycott the work of the National Assembly.

February

Nearly 2,000 people have died in Ebola

New figures from WHO show that almost 2,000 people have died in Ebola until February 8.

January

Former junta leaders form party

A new party is formed, the Patriotic Forces for Democracy and Development (FPDD), led by former junta leader Dadis Camara, who is still in exile in Burkina Faso.

Schools open again

Guinea’s schools reopened after being closed for five months due to the Ebola epidemic.