Côte d'Ivoire's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Pr Adama Diawara, officially inaugurated an annex of the École normale supérieure (ENS) in San Pedro on October 3, 2026. This is the second ENS annex to be established in the country, following one in Bouaké that was inaugurated a few days earlier. The new annex will help address the need for qualified teachers in the country.
The ENS annex in San Pedro has a capacity to accommodate 1,300 students, thanks to a rotation system for the use of classrooms. Initially, the annex will only accept students who wish to become college and high school teachers due to constraints such as a shortage of teachers in certain subjects like mathematics and physics. This will help address the shortage of qualified educators in these areas.
The construction of the ENS annex in San Pedro was financed by the United States through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to the tune of 7.4 billion FCFA. Similarly, the Bouaké annex, which can accommodate 1,500 students, cost 7.5 billion FCFA to build. The Ivoirian government has expressed gratitude to the United States for its support to the country's education system.
The ENS annex in San Pedro is located near the Université polytechnique de San Pedro. The minister emphasized that the establishment of this annex is part of a decentralization process aimed at bringing the ENS closer to the population. The current setup is a deconcentration of the ENS, which has been based at the Université Félix-Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan since 1964.
The minister stated that the long-term goal is to decentralize the ENS and offer all its programs in Bouaké and San Pedro, just like in Abidjan. For now, the focus is on training college and high school teachers. The first batch of students at the new annex has already started attending classes.
The ENS is responsible for training teachers, including college and high school professors, as well as support staff such as educators, inspectors, and pedagogical advisors. The establishment of the ENS annex in San Pedro is expected to help address the shortage of qualified teachers in the country and improve the quality of education.
The Ivoirian government is committed to improving its education system, and the establishment of the ENS annex in San Pedro is part of this effort. The government aims to provide quality education to all Ivoirian students, and the new annex will play a significant role in achieving this goal.
Key points
- The ENS annex in San Pedro has a capacity to accommodate 1,300 students.
- The construction of the annex was financed by the United States through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to the tune of 7.4 billion FCFA.
- The long-term goal is to decentralize the ENS and offer all its programs in Bouaké and San Pedro, just like in Abidjan.
