Paragraph 5: Measures relating to education and compulsory basic education
The Act makes primary education mandatory and establishes the relevant rules, as well as
the penalties applicable in the case of failure to respect them. It stipulates that primary
education is mandatory for all Mauritanian children “of both sexes, between six (6) and
fourteen (14) years of age, for a period of at least six (6) years”.
Under the terms of this Act, the individual responsible for the child (father, mother or legal
guardian, or any individual or corporate entity legally responsible for the child’s custody)
must enrol the child in school during the 15-day period prior to the start of the school year.
If the child’s guardian fails to respect these provisions, after receiving formal notice to do
so within five days, he or she shall be subject to penalties. The penalty shall be a fine of
between 10,000 and 30,000 ouguiyas where the individual responsible for the child fails to
enrol the child without valid grounds, keeps the child away from school for a period
exceeding 15 days during a school term or causes “by his or her influence and actions (…),
a temporary or definitive interruption in the child’s schooling”. If the offence is repeated,
the fine may be increased to 50,000 or 100,000 ouguiyas.
-Academic freedom and institutional autonomy of higher education institutions
In accordance with legislation on higher education, “universities are autonomous public
institutions (EPA) with legal personality and financial autonomy and enjoy pedagogical,
scientific and cultural autonomy in the performance of the duties they have been assigned.”
University chancellors are appointed at Cabinet meetings after shortlisting of candidate
professors by a committee established within the CNESRS.
This committee selects the three best candidates and the Minister may not propose a name
that is not included among the three selected by the committee.
Faculty deans are elected exclusively by an electoral college formed within the
administration of that faculty and mainly comprising heads of department, themselves
elected directly by lecturers in each department.
- Equal access to higher education
According to law “is considered a student in a public or private institution, an individual
who holds a Mauritanian baccalauréat or an equivalent certificate and is enrolled at the
institution in compliance with the established rules and regulations”.
The legislation stipulates: “Everyone is free to enrol in the public or private higher
education institution of their choice as well as in the field of their choice based on
possibilities available and enrolment conditions determined by the prevailing regulations”.
Affirmative action in favour of women is provided for in the prevailing regulations. A quota
for scholarships is reserved for the promotion of girls’ education equivalent to 6% of
scholarships awarded abroad.
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