Better articulation between upper secondary and higher education

In the present Mauritanian context, where economic growth has been boosted by oil production and heavy metal mining, a major challenge has to be met: providing the labour market with the human resources required to respond to the demand. The recent educational reform was designed mainly with this aim in mind. The latest sectoral diagnoses have shown that the system is still confronted with more structural than economic problems at present. The authorities are attempting to deal with these problems before it is too late. Several measures have been adopted, some of which are still in the process of being applied. This paper, which is based on data from several reports and interviews with actors in the educational sector, focuses in particular on the results obtained so far on articulating upper secondary with higher education in Mauritania. The progress achieved in this sector is described, as well as the problems which will have to be dealt with in the years to come. The effect of increasing numbers enroling in education and the fact that these fluxes are not regulated will lead to higher educational establishments being overwhelmed, for which they are not prepared, in addition to not responding to the labour market requirements.