School in Gabon

Children commonly enter pre-primary education at ages three to five through petite section, moyenne section and grande section. Primary school usually begins at age six and lasts five years: 1re année or cycle préparatoire, 2e and 3e années or cycle élémentaire, and 4e and 5e années or cycle moyen. The primary cycle ends with the Certificat d'études primaires, usually shortened to CEP, and a school record. Entry to collège normally uses the school record and CEP. Law N°21/2011 provides for the removal of the concours d'entrée en 6e, but the applicable implementing rules should be checked for the relevant year. Secondary general education has two stages. The collège lasts four years and leads to the Brevet d'études du premier cycle, known as the BEPC. The lycée then provides the upper-secondary cycle, generally lasting three years and leading to the baccalauréat. Selective schools can set additional academic thresholds: the lycée scientifique uses the BEPC and at least a 12/20 science result, while the Lycée National d'Excellence requires the BEPC and at least a 14/20 average. Technical and vocational routes belong to vocational education rather than this general school pathway. The Ministère de l’Education Nationale, de l’instruction civique et de la formation professionnelle coordinates the system nationally. Provincial academies and inspections handle local administration, while communes and private providers also affect access and daily operation. Public enrollment is fee-free under the Code de l’Enfant, and school fees for primary and secondary education have been reported as abolished since 2023. This does not mean that supplies, transport, meals, uniforms, boarding or other contributions are free. Private fees vary by school type and location. Secondary scholarships and allowances have been revived, but current eligibility and application notices require confirmation. The legal age rules are not fully consistent across the available texts. Law N°21/2011 refers to access from ages three to sixteen, the 2018 Code de l’Enfant refers to pre-primary education from zero to five and schooling from five to sixteen, and Law N°16/66 describes free and compulsory schooling from six to sixteen. The current interpretation should therefore be confirmed with the responsible education authority or local inspection when age, admission or compulsory attendance is disputed. School facilities may include a canteen, infirmary, toilets, a documentation and information centre and sports areas, but water, sanitation, teaching staff and learning materials remain unevenly available. Reported net attendance is about 98% in primary school, 55% in lower secondary and 16% in upper secondary; completion is substantially lower in secondary education. Rural deprivation, repetition, school violence, pregnancy and shortages of teachers or materials can interrupt schooling. Learning Passport has reached 27 schools in nine provinces and about 6,700 students, but it is not a nationwide substitute for regular schooling. Special education has an established but fragmented presence. Structures include ENEDA and the Centre Ndossi & Akomgha, among others. Children who are deaf, blind, visually impaired or have intellectual disabilities face much more limited school opportunities outside Libreville. Gabonese rules provide for accessibility and protection against physical punishment, violence and humiliation, but there is no reliable nationwide inclusion rate or single standard admission procedure. A disability card may support reductions for school fees, transport or medical services, depending on the applicable arrangements. For the revised 2025–2026 calendar, classes resumed on 19 January 2026, regular classes ran from 30 March to 31 July, and classes without examinations ended by 20 June. The CEP was scheduled for 16 June with results on 27 June, the BEPC for 23–27 June with results on 11 July, and the general baccalauréat for 14–18 July with results on 25 July. For 2026–2027, the administrative return was scheduled for 31 August 2026 and the student return for 7 September 2026.