Education in Nyanga

Nyanga's education system, despite being small is very comprehensive. All government education is tuition free and covers all regions of country. The current system came about after reforms by the Democratic Alliance in 2005, making it substantially different to those of neighbouring countries, instead following systems found in Europe, particularly Finland, where most inspiration was taken from. Since then the government has focussed largely on having a highly skilled and educated workforce and ensuring that there is a 100% literacy rate. The reforms are still undergoing with primary and secondary schools alike being built in more remote areas of country and the gradual phasing out of the older system.

Undergraduate and postgraduate universities and institutes of technology have become much popular in recent years with the help of the education reforms, which essentially made them free, only having a registration fee to be paid annually. These are much lower than previous fees and a substantial scholarship and grant system has been established. Many wealthier families choose to attend a number of private, often boarding schools, that have been established since colonial times. Usually they are religion based and can attract students from neighbouring countries such as Congo and Gabon.

History
The first tribes in Nyanga would pass local knowledge by word of mouth, teaching children about the forests, animals, crafts and life lessons. There was no formal education, but rather rites of passage to pass through; whereby this common would have had to have been known. Only until European settlers arrived did functioning schools exist, although these were commonly reserved for "non-natives", but attempts by missionaries were made to educate communities in remote areas. These schools mainly taught through Christianity and worked only with those who were willing to convert or be baptised, but they did enable the teaching of foreign languages such as English and French, which would become valuable skills. During the later part of Histalpol's and France's colonisation of the region, formal school became more available and more of a necessity as industrialisation lead to more of the population living in towns and cities. Primary and secondary school's were developed during the early 1900s and the first university was constructed in Mayumba in 1932, by local sugar plantation owner Gerry Junior Jackson. This university later became known as the University of Mayumba. Under governing by Gabon, not much changed in the education system and was often overlooked in the province, with the university almost being closed down during the 1970s and being rather replaced by a smaller university being constructed and one in Tchibanga. These smaller universities became the bulk of the institutes of technology.