A recent visit by the Agence Ivoirienne de Presse (AIP) to the public high schools in Sassandra revealed that many classes, particularly those in the exam years, are severely overcrowded. At the Lycée Moderne Goffry Kouassi Raymond, classes of terminale A2-1 and A2-2 have 57 and 74 students respectively. This high number of students makes it challenging for teachers to provide individual attention, especially during note-taking and evaluations.
The overcrowding issue is not limited to the terminale classes. In the same school, classes of troisième (3e 1 and 3e 3) have around 60 and 61 students respectively. This concentration of students complicates the organization of evaluations for students taking the Brevet d'études du premier cycle (BEPC). Teachers are also finding it difficult to manage their classes and remember students' names.
The Lycée Toussagnon Benoît is facing a similar situation, with high numbers of students in its classes. The terminale A2-1 class has 75 students, while the terminale D1 class has 70 students. In troisième, the 3e 2 class has as many as 80 students. The lower classes are also affected, with 75 and 80 students in the 6e 2 and 6e 4 classes respectively.
The overcrowding issue is not only limited to the exam years. Other classes, such as cinquième 5, première A2, and première D, have 75, 70, and 71 students respectively. This situation is causing concern among parents, who are calling for the construction of new classrooms to reduce the number of students per class and improve learning conditions.
In response to the situation, the Conseil régional du Gboklè has announced plans to build new schools in the coming years. However, until these new infrastructure projects are completed, students and teachers will have to cope with the overcrowded classes. Some parents and teachers are worried that this situation may lead to a decline in the quality of education.
There are also concerns that teachers may go on strike when school resumes after the Toussaint holidays to demand better working and learning conditions. On the other hand, private schools in the area seem to be less affected by this issue, with several new schools having opened in the different sous-préfectures.
The AIP visit to the schools revealed that the overcrowding issue is a major challenge for the education sector in Sassandra. While plans are underway to address the issue, it remains to be seen how the situation will be managed in the short term. The government and education authorities will need to work together to find a solution to this problem.
Key points
- Overcrowding in public high schools of Sassandra is affecting teaching and learning conditions.
- The Conseil régional du Gboklè plans to build new schools to address the issue.
- Teachers may go on strike to demand better working and learning conditions.
