Politicians and Educational Reform in French Speaking West Africa: A Comparative Study of Mali and Ivory Coast

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Periodical article

Title:	Politicians and Educational Reform in French Speaking West Africa: A Comparative Study of Mali and Ivory Coast
Author:	Obichere, Boniface I.
Year:	1976
Periodical:	Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria
Volume:	8
Issue:	3
Period:	December
Pages:	55-68
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Ivory Coast - Côte d'Ivoire Mali
Subjects:	educational policy Politics and Government Education and Oral Traditions
Abstract:	Felix Houphouet-Boigny, president of the Ivory Coast and Modibo Keita, first president of Mali, were both known for their expressed commitment to the improvement of the quality of life for all Africans by means of education. The differences in their political and social philosophies had a great impact on the subsequent development plans. In the case of Mali, the politicians look at education as a revolutionary factor in the process of nation building and replaced the French system; in the Ivory Coast, education was considered to be an evolutionary factor and the French system was retained. The article compares both systems and concludes that they have not responded to the manpower needs of the country, but that Mali is much better off than the Ivory Coast in this respect. Notes, tables.