CRC/C/MDG/3-4 - Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

CRC/C/MDG/3-4
• Rate of pupils repeating a year of school in the last year of the first level of
secondary school of approximately 25 per cent reduced to 10 per cent.
3. Educational goals
546. Children’s development is an important goal of the education of the Malagasy child.
Article 14 (2) of Law No. 2004-004 provides that the role of school is “to develop the
personality of the individual in all its aspects: physical, emotional, psychological, mental
and moral, while ensuring the individual’s right to form his person so as to sharpen his
critical thinking and his will.”
547. Article 16 of the same law provides for the aspect of preparation for adult life “to
develop competencies and knowledge of how to strengthen these competencies and use
them to solve problems that he may face.”
548. The main international human rights instruments, including those pertaining to the
rights of the child, are incorporated into the civics and citizenship-based programmes of
primary and secondary schools. In addition, educational radio programmes are broadcast,
awareness-raising sessions are held in schools and newspaper articles are published to
inform students of and educate them about these rights.
549. The Malagasy language, ways and customs, and traditional socio-cultural values are
taught at all levels of the educational system. In addition to French and English, which are
two of the country’s official languages, Spanish, Russian and German, as well various
ancient and modern civilisations, are part of the Malagasy school curriculum.
550. Preserving the natural environment is also part of the programme of primary schools
and high schools.
4. Private education
551. The right to private education is guaranteed by the Constitution: “the State
recognizes the right to private education and guarantees the freedom to teach, subject to
conditions of hygiene, morality and capacity established by law. Establishments of private
education benefit from the same fiscal regime under conditions established by law.” (art.
25).
552. There are currently eight National directorates of private education of which six are
faith-based: Roman Catholic, Fiangonan’i Jesoa Kristy eto Madagasikara (FJKM),
Anglican, Lutheran, Rainisoalambo and Adventist.
553. Within the MNESR, the National private-education office (NPEO) is responsible for
coordinating relations between private and State education. Among others items, it manages
the subsidies allocated by the State and issues authorisations to open and teach at private
schools.
554. Private education is heavily involved in meeting EFA objectives. As indicated
earlier, the State provides considerable support to private educational facilities through:
teacher training, financial support of these facilities through annual subsidies and providing
school kits to pupils and teachers.
555. Monitoring mechanism. To prevent abuses and monitor respect of health and
safety standards for children studying in private educational facilities, the ministry has
implemented NPEO and the Regional private-education office (RPEO), which represent,
respectively, central and regional private-education oversight organizations. The officials of
these organizations are assisted by MNESR inspectors.
556. Public-private partnership. A subsidy for parental expenses is reserved for schools
that charge monthly tuition of under 800 ariary. This programme provides a ninth-month
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