Enhancement of the knowledge on the drop in levels in Benin’s high schools and colleges: Case of Fonkpamè College

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Enhancement of the knowledge on the drop in levels in Benin’s high schools and colleges: Case of Fonkpamè College

AITCHEDJI Magloire Fortuné Landry¹*, HOUEHA Noukpo Saturnin², KELANI R.Raphael³
Ecole Normale Supérieure de Natitingou, UNSTIM (Bénin)
*Corresponding author

Abstract
The gradual decline in the level of learners is one of the main difficulties currently facing education in Benin. While numerous efforts are being made by socio-political stakeholders, there is limited scientific documentation on the real causes of this scourge. This study aims at identifying the main causes of the drop in level of trainees in Benin’s high schools and Colleges. The study was carried out at the “Collège d’EnseignementGénéral” (CEG) of Fonkpamè in Benin. The research methodology was based on the analysis of trainees’ academic results over a period of three years and on semi-structured interviews with a sample of 50 teachers and 120 trainees. The outcomes was a drop in academic performance between 2012-2013 and 2014-2015 at both level 1 and level 2 with increasingly high dropout rates. Highlighting the associated parameters to this drop in level revealed that 74% of learners with a home away from their school, 66% of learners with an illiterate parent, 72% of learners having no access to school books and reinforcement, 91% of learners paying their own school fees, 84% of learners who admit to having regular and uncontrolled access to social networks and 68% of learners without any follow-up from their parents, 70% of learners aged 15-17 in 5th form did not obtain the average. Hence, these factors have an impact on the academic performance of trainees. It would be important to extend this study to other high schools and colleges in Benin in order to take general measures of pedagogical, didactic, technical and social reforms to improve the performance of the Beninese educational system.

Keywords: drop in level, Benin, CEG Fonkpamè, academic results

1. Introduction

For several years, Benin has been following a quality policy to ensure a better performance of its educational system. There have been clear improvements in terms of school attendance. The Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) in elementary school was 50% in 1970, 68% in 1980, 71% in 1992 and 93% in 2004 (RESEN, 2005). In secondary education, the GER was about 12% in 1992 but rose to 27% in 2004. Concurrently, new curricula based on skills development were introduced in 1990 in order to optimize the relationship between the curriculum and the country’s social and cultural realities (Agbodjogbé et al., 2013).
Despite technical, financial and institutional support for the implementation of the Competency-Based Approach, an increasing decline in the level of learners is being reported. Using World Bank data from 2002, Napporn, (2013) found that only 7% of pupils enrolled in basic courses reached the final year of secondary school. In 2002, the promotion rate in primary education was 70.8% and the drop-out rate was 8.3% (Affo, 2004). The Education Sector Review (RSE, 2008) reports a Gross Enrolment Rate in primary school of 98%, a primary school completion rate of 66%, a transition rate of 77% between fifth and sixth grader classes; and 65% between ninth and tenth grader classes for 2007. 30% of 5th grade students leave school with difficulty in reading and writing properly. The pass rates for the BEPC in Benin were 49.8% in 2009, 45.8% in 2010, 45.0% in 2011, 31.7% in 2012 and 49.7% in 2013. The statistics for the baccalaureate over the same period are 36.0%, 35.3%, 28.5%, 37.2% and 32.4% respectively (Karsenti, 2016).

Read More