Overview of the General Education System

Cape Verde is officially known as the Republic of Cabo Verde and has a group of 10 islands located in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal. The islands were occupied only after it was discovered by the Portuguese in 1462. Sadly, due to colonization, Cape Verde was the trading center for African slaves. It also an important role in the whaling and refueling ships crossing the Atlantic. In 1951, Portugal transformed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province. July 5, 1975, marked Cape Verde’s independence from Portugal.

Currently, the education system is overseen by the Ministério da Educação along with its specialized branch, the Direção-Geral de Ensino Superior, which manages the tertiary education. The system is organized into five levels. The pre-primary for ages three to five, primary for 6 years, secondary for 6 years, post-secondary vocational, and tertiary education.

Education is free and compulsory between the ages of six and 12. Pre-primary education, although not mandatory, is undergoing expansion to improve access for all children aged four and five, particularly those from low-income families, through increased subsidies, improved institutional regulation, and enhanced teacher training.

Although the government strives to initiate efforts for the education sector, access to higher education remains low, with only 23.5% of eligible students enrolled in 2019–2020. This number is starkly below the 92.4% primary and secondary enrollment rate. Nevertheless, the literacy rate reached 88.5% in 2019.

Language also poses a challenge as Portuguese is the official and instructional language at schools, when in fact most students speak Cape Verdean Creole (CVL) at home. This linguistic gap reasonably marginalizes rural and underprivileged communities. The government has launched bilingual education, yet it remains underdeveloped due to limited resources.

Cape Verde has a mix of public, private, and vocational institutions and religious and international schools are less common. The government continues to pursue structural improvements to seek educational equity and expand access to tertiary education.

Cape Verde imposes six years of compulsory education for children aged six to 12. While early childhood education for children ages three to five is not legally compulsory, the government aims to universalize access for children aged four and five. The objective focuses on quality enhancement and equity across the islands.

Children begin pre-school (Educação pré-escolar) at age three for a three-year program. If they do not attend pre-school, they must wait until they are seven years old to begin primary school. Primary education, or Ensino Básico Integrado, spans six years and is divided into three two-year cycles. Students receive a Certificat de Fin d’Études de Base (CFEB) upon completion.

Secondary education follows and is structured into three two-year cycles. The first cycle offers a common curriculum (Tronco Comum) to all students. In the second and third cycles, students are placed into either general (gereal) or technical (técnica) tracks depending on their academic performance and career aspirations. Secondary graduates take a national examination to gain the Certificado da Habilitações Literárias, which is a prerequisite for higher education.

In addition, vocational training (Ensino Médio) is accessible for students who complete at least five years of secondary school. Completers of this three-year program are awarded with Certificado do Nível Vocacional Médio, which allows students to enter the workforce directly or pursue further technical education.

Cape Verde’s higher education system has developed progressively in recent years. Supervision of tertiary institutions is managed by the Direção-Geral de Ensino Superior. The agency is responsible for accreditation and quality assurance.

The country’s HEIs are composed of nine universities that offer 190 study programs, with 110 Bachelor’s programs, 52 Master’s programs, and 28 doctoral programs. However, doctoral education remains limited and is often pursued abroad, as Cape Verdean has scarce institutions for PhD opportunities. The prominent public universities include the University of Cape Verde (Uni-CV) and Jean Piaget University.

Tertiary education is structured into two main cycles. The first cycle includes three-year programs leading to a Bachelerato, and four to five-year programs that end in a Licenciatura. The second cycle is open to those who already have a Licenciatura. It offers two-year Master’s programs (Mestrado), which require successful defense of a thesis.

Admission into these programs is based on secondary school completion, national exam scores, and in some cases, language proficiency in Portuguese. Although the higher education system continues to extend, the country’s limited accessibility and resources pose a constraint to development, particularly on more far-flung islands.