In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its target 4.2, which states that by 2030, countries must: "ensure that all girls and boys have access to development and early childhood care activities and to quality preschool education that prepares them for primary education," preschool education and Early Childhood Development (ECD) services in general are receiving increasing attention from the Ivorian government.
Preschool education is the educational stage provided by institutions for children aged 3 to 5 years. It includes three sections (small section, medium section, and large section). In Côte d'Ivoire, the ministries responsible for national education and social protection are committed to providing preschool services.
Evolution of Key Preschool Indicators from 2017-2018 to 2021-2022
| Designation | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
| Gross Admission Rate (GAR) (in %) | 5 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.85 |
| Gross Enrollment Rate (GER) (in %) | 9 | 9.4 | 10.5 | 10 | 10.32 |
Source: Ministry of National Education and Literacy (MENA)/ DESPS
According to statistics from the Ministry responsible for National Education and Literacy, in preschool education, the number of schools increased from 2,502 in 2017 to 3,647 in 2022, representing a growth of 46% over the period. The number of classrooms increased by 43%, rising from 5,892 in 2017 to 8,449 in 2022. Public schools account for 66% of the total, with 65% of the classrooms.
At the same time, the number of enrolled students reached 257,633 in 2022 compared to 174,264 in 2017, marking an increase of 49%. Despite this progress, the gross enrollment rate in preschool remains low, standing at 10.3% in 2022.
The number of teachers increased from 7,604 in 2017 to 10,716 in 2022, a growth of 41% over the period. The student-to-teacher ratio was 24 in 2022, in line with the national standard of 25 students per teacher.
Source: Ministry of National Education and Literacy (MENA)/ DESPS