Sao Tome and Principe

by Graham Clarke

São Tomé and Príncipe in a nutshell

Source : http://www.cia.gov

São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Africa. The name in Portuguese is São Tomé e Príncipe.

It consists of two islands: (a) São Tomé and (b) Príncipe, located about 140 kilometres (87 mi) apart and about 250 and 225 kilometres (155 and 140 mi), respectively, off the northwestern coast of Gabon. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. São Tomé, the sizable southern island, is situated just north of the equator. It was named in honour of Saint Thomas by Portuguese explorers who happened to arrive at the island on his feast day.

Its population is 179,506 (CIA July 2011 est.).

Its capital (and largest city) is São Tomé.

São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest African country in terms of population (the Seychelles being the smallest). It is the smallest country in the world that is not a former British overseas territory, a former United States trusteeship, or one of the European microstates. It is also the smallest Portuguese-speaking country.

Education in São Tomé and Príncipe

Education in São Tomé and Príncipe is compulsory and free for six years from the age of six, covering primary level only.[1] The educational system has a shortage of classrooms, insufficiently trained and underpaid teachers, inadequate textbooks and materials, high rates of repetition, poor educational planning and management, and a lack of community involvement in school management. Domestic financing of the school system is lacking, leaving the system highly dependent on foreign financing.

Further and Higher education

Polytechnics in São Tomé and Príncipe

1. Institut Supérieur Polytechnique

ICT in education initiatives

According to the 2007 Infodev ICT in Education report by Babacar Fall, the government does not consider ICT to be a priority sector. Other than basic computer facilities at the polytechnic, it is not currently possible to identify any ICT initiatives in the country at any educational level.

Interesting Programmes

• CyaBite is a school of IT and Computer Science located in São Paulo, Brazil. Since 1988 CyaBite has been training thousands of students, initially in their units in São Paulo and more recently through distance learning. Vocational courses offered include Professional Administrative Assistant, Typing Course, Graphic Design, Web Design, Secretarial Course amongst others. CyaBite can be accessed by students in all Brazilian States, as well as students living in Portugal, Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Moçambique, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor as well as Macau in China. CyaBite web site is at http://www.ciabyte.com.br

• Imaginologia provides on line courses with emphasis in the medical field. The website aims provide further training to the medical community of the Portuguese language (Brazil, Angola, Portugal, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau and East Timor. Imaginologia web site is at http://www.imaginologia.com.br/cursos-a-distancia.asp

• NEaD - Núcleo de Educação a Distância da UNESP The Distance Learning Center of the Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho is located in São Paulo, Brazil. NEAD provides a framework to support academic courses, helping to keep the quality and credibility of University. Courses are available in the form of in the form of extension courses, undergraduate or postgraduate level and are available to students from Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Sao Tome and Principe. UNESP website is at http://www.unesp.br/

References

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