Education in the Republic of the Congo
Encyclopedia
Congo is a 342,000-square-kilometre country in Equatorial Africa
. Its population is 3,883,000 inhabitants of which 47% is less than 15 years old. Life expectancy is 52 years old, and 33% of the population lives in rural areas.
12.6% of the Congolese budget is spent on education; 40% on primary education, 31% on secondary level, and 27% on tertiary level. Only 1% goes to pre-primary education.
Education in Congo takes 13 years, from the first level of Primary School to the Higher Certificate.
According to the 2005 UNDP report, 82.8% of Congolese are literate.
In the republic of the Congo, a French-speaking Country, the term “college” refers to the first four grades of the Secondary School, including Grades 7, 8, 9 and 10.
The term “lycée” (or lycee) on the other hand refers to the three and last grades of Secondary Level, including Grades 11, 12 and 13. There are three kinds of lycées in the country: Agricultural, Technical and General Lycées.
The Agricultural lycée welcomes students interested in agriculture. At technical lycée, students are provided with skills on technological field, including mechanics, engineering and architecture, among others. All other students go to the General Lycée.
Both Agricultural and Technical lycées welcome students through a special test, whereas the general lycée is open to all who succeed at the GCSE examination, which occur at the end of Grade 10.
Students in Grade 11LE interested in economics go to Subdivision B (for Business), while those interested in languages go to Subdivision A2, and others interested in human sciences enter sub-division A3. Other students go to subdivision A1.
Meanwhile, those in Grade 11S which are interested in biological and/or earth sciences go to Subdivision D, others interested in physics and mathematics go to Subdivision C.
At Grade 13, every student is required to do the Senior School Higher Certificate Examination, no matter which lycée they are studying in.
Education on Medicine takes seven years during which there is no intermediate degree. It consists of three levels; in the first three years, students are taught on general aspects, including anatomy
, biochemistry
, physiology
, molecular biology
etc. The next level deals with theoretical medicine and pharmacy
. The last level is on training in hospital
s.
Equatorial Africa
Equatorial Africa is an ambiguous term that is sometimes used to refer to tropical Africa, or the region of Sub-Saharan Africa traversed by the equator....
. Its population is 3,883,000 inhabitants of which 47% is less than 15 years old. Life expectancy is 52 years old, and 33% of the population lives in rural areas.
12.6% of the Congolese budget is spent on education; 40% on primary education, 31% on secondary level, and 27% on tertiary level. Only 1% goes to pre-primary education.
Education in Congo takes 13 years, from the first level of Primary School to the Higher Certificate.
According to the 2005 UNDP report, 82.8% of Congolese are literate.
Primary Level
Primary level in the Republic of the Congo takes six years. The average age at which children arrive at school is 5½ years. Primary school consists of six grades; two preparatory, two elementary, and two medium classes. At the end of the second medium class, the young learner is required to do the Secondary School Entry Test, on which his entry to secondary level is hinged.Secondary School
Secondary school takes seven years. It consists of two parts, the first one being “college”, and the second “lycée”.In the republic of the Congo, a French-speaking Country, the term “college” refers to the first four grades of the Secondary School, including Grades 7, 8, 9 and 10.
The term “lycée” (or lycee) on the other hand refers to the three and last grades of Secondary Level, including Grades 11, 12 and 13. There are three kinds of lycées in the country: Agricultural, Technical and General Lycées.
The Agricultural lycée welcomes students interested in agriculture. At technical lycée, students are provided with skills on technological field, including mechanics, engineering and architecture, among others. All other students go to the General Lycée.
Both Agricultural and Technical lycées welcome students through a special test, whereas the general lycée is open to all who succeed at the GCSE examination, which occur at the end of Grade 10.
The General Lycée
Upon entering General lycée, students are asked to choose in Grade 10 which division they want to enter in. In fact, General Lycée consists of two sections with three grades each. Those interested in sciences go to the S division, whereas others go to LE division.Students in Grade 11LE interested in economics go to Subdivision B (for Business), while those interested in languages go to Subdivision A2, and others interested in human sciences enter sub-division A3. Other students go to subdivision A1.
Meanwhile, those in Grade 11S which are interested in biological and/or earth sciences go to Subdivision D, others interested in physics and mathematics go to Subdivision C.
At Grade 13, every student is required to do the Senior School Higher Certificate Examination, no matter which lycée they are studying in.
List of Senior School Higher Certificates issued in The Republic of Congo
| Senior School Higher Certificate | Grade | Lycée | Concentrations |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | 13 LE | General Lycée | French Language French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... , Philosophy Philosophy Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational... , Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity... |
| A2 | 13 LE | General lycée | French Language French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... , Foreign Languages |
| A3 | 13 LE | General lycée | French Language French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... , Human Sciences |
| B | 13 LE | General lycée | French Language French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts... , Economics Economics Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"... |
| C | 13 S | General lycée | Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity... , Physics Physics Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic... |
| D | 13 S | General Lycée | Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity... , Physics Physics Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic... , Biological and Earth Sciences |
| E | 13 | Technical Lycée | Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity... , Physics Physics Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic... , Technology Technology Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;... |
| F | 13 | Agricultural lycée | Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity... , Agricultural Science Agricultural science Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. -Agriculture and agricultural science:The two terms are often confused... |
| G | 13 | Technical lycée | Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity... , Technology Technology Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;... , Economics Economics Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"... |
Tertiary Level
Most Congolese attend Marien Ngouabi University, once they have got their Higher Certificate, although it is not the only option.List of Higher Education Institutions in Congo-Brazzaville
- Marien Ngouabi University
- Christian Polytechnic and Professional Institute of Arts
- Institute of Business and Economical Development
- Mondongo Higher Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Medical Education in the Republic of Congo
Future physicians and medicine-related officers learn at the faculty of medicine of Marien Ngouabi University. To enter that faculty, they are required to pass a test, plus having succeeded at the Higher Certificate Exam. Most attendees to the faculty have a C or D Higher Certificate.Education on Medicine takes seven years during which there is no intermediate degree. It consists of three levels; in the first three years, students are taught on general aspects, including anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
, biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
, molecular biology
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
etc. The next level deals with theoretical medicine and pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
. The last level is on training in hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s.