Education in Equatorial Guinea

There have been major strides with Education in Equatorial Guinea over the past ten years, although there is still room for improvement. Among sub-Saharan African countries, Equatorial Guinea has one of the highest literacy rates.^[1] According to The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency as of 2015, 95.3% of the population age 15 and over can read and write in Equatorial Guinea were respectively literate.^[1] Education in Equatorial Guinea is overseen by the Ministry of Education and Science (MEC). Split into four levels, preschool, primary, secondary, and higher education, the Equatorial Guinea's educational system only deems preschool and primary school mandatory.^[2] Education in Equatorial Guinea is free and compulsory until the age of 14.^[3] Although it has a high GNI per capita, which, as of 2018, was 18,170 international dollars, its educational outcomes fall behind those of the rest of West and Central Africa.^[4][5] In 1993, the gross primary enrollment rate was 149.7 percent, and the net primary enrollment rate was 83.4 percent.^[6] Late entry into the school system and high dropout rates are common, and girls are more likely than boys to drop out of school.^[6] As of 2015, the net enrollment rates for each education level are as follows: 42 percent for preschool, between 60 percent and 86 percent for primary school, and 43.6 percent for secondary school.^[2] UNESCO has cited several issues with the current educational system, including poor nutrition, low quality of teachers, and lack of adequate facilities.^[7]