Abidjan, December 30, 2025 – As part of its policy to improve equitable access to education for young children, the Ministry of National Education and Literacy, through the Directorate of Non-Formal Education, organized a training workshop for participants in the “Preschool on Wednesdays and Saturdays (PréMS)” project. The workshop was held from December 7 to 18, 2025, in Ferkessédougou, Ouangolodougou, and Bouna.

The workshop strengthened the skills of 88 educational actors, including 24 facilitators, 24 assistants, 24 school directors, and 9 pedagogical advisors, to ensure the implementation of a harmonized program and quality teaching in PréMS classes for 610 children aged 4 to 5, including 314 girls.

The PréMS project had already shown promising results during its pilot phase in the 2024-2025 school year. Over 345 children, including 162 girls, benefited from this initiative and successfully entered Grade 1 in the 2025-2026 school year.

This initiative is part of the expansion of the PréMS project, an educational alternative introduced by the government with UNICEF support to provide preschool opportunities for children aged 4 to 5 in disadvantaged rural and peri-urban areas where no preschool education is currently available.