Tag Archives: Gabon

According to collegesanduniversitiesinusa, Gabon has a long history of providing educational opportunities to its citizens. The country was one of the first African countries to introduce free and compulsory primary education in the early 1960s. Since then, the Gabonese government has made significant investments in its education system, which has resulted in marked improvements in educational outcomes over the past few decades. Gabon’s education system is divided into three levels: primary, secondary and higher education. Primary school lasts for six years, while secondary school lasts for four years. Students who successfully complete secondary school are eligible to pursue higher education at universities or other post-secondary institutions. The majority of primary schools are public schools that are free to attend; however, there is also a growing number of private schools that charge tuition fees. Secondary schools are also mainly public but there is an increasing number of private secondary schools as well. Higher education institutions include universities, polytechnic institutes and vocational training centers that offer a variety of degree programs ranging from engineering to business administration to law. Gabon has made great strides in improving access to primary and secondary schooling over the past few decades; however, access to higher education remains limited due mainly to high tuition costs and lack of financial support from the government for students pursuing higher studies abroad. To address this issue, the government has implemented various initiatives such as bursaries for promising students as well as scholarships aimed at encouraging students from rural areas or disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher studies abroad. In recent years, Gabon has also been making efforts towards improving its technical and vocational training capacities by investing in infrastructure and expanding programs offered at existing institutes throughout the country. This includes introducing new courses such as automotive mechanics or computer science while also offering more targeted programs specifically designed for women or those seeking employment in certain industries such as oil & gas or tourism. Overall, Gabon’s educational history has seen steady progress over the past few decades with notable improvements in access to primary and secondary schooling as well as efforts towards expanding access to higher education and technical/vocational training opportunities across all levels of society. Gabon is a small, oil-rich nation located on the western coast of Central Africa. It is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and the Republic of Congo to the east and south. Gabon was formerly part of French Equatorial Africa, gaining independence in 1960. Since then it has been ruled by a series of authoritarian leaders who have maintained their grip on power through a combination of patronage networks, corruption and repression. In 2009, Gabon was led by President Omar Bongo Ondimba who had been in power since 1967. He had managed to stay in power for over 40 years through a combination of nepotism and cronyism as well as widespread corruption that enabled him to buy off potential opponents. This system of government was known as “le clan Bongo” and it had become deeply entrenched in Gabonese society. Under his rule, many major decisions were taken without any public consultation or input from civil society groups and there were serious restrictions on freedom of expression with journalists often being harassed or censored for their work. The economy was highly dependent on oil revenues which accounted for around 40% of GDP in 2009. However, due to mismanagement and rampant corruption much of this money was squandered or diverted away from public services such as healthcare and education which resulted in low levels development across the country. Furthermore, unemployment remained high with over 20% of the population living below the poverty line despite high levels economic growth due to rising oil prices during this period. In terms of foreign policy, Gabon maintained close ties with France who provided both financial aid and political support throughout Omar Bongo’s rule. Additionally, Gabon had recently joined OPEC (Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries) which meant that it now had more influence over global oil prices as well as access to new markets for its products such as crude oil which provided an additional source revenue for the government. In terms of regional relations, Gabon maintained good relations with its immediate neighbors however there were still some tensions between it and Equatorial Guinea due to unresolved border disputes dating back from colonial times. Overall, 2009 saw Gabon continuing along its trajectory under President Omar Bongo Ondimba’s authoritarian rule that was characterized by widespread corruption, nepotism and cronyism at all levels government while also maintaining close ties with France both politically and economically due its dependence on oil exports. Check mathgeneral for Gabon in 2017.