Author(s)

Jean Robert Mabiala-Babela^1,2, Steve Vassili Missambou Mandilou², Evrard Romaric Nika², Georges Marius Moyen^1,3

¹Medical Department, Health Sciences Faculty, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo.
²Department of Pediatrics-Infants Ward, Teaching Hospital of Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Congo.
³Department of Pediatrics-Intensive Care Unit, Teaching Hospital of Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Congo.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of school delay in school age children and to identify its determinants in Brazzaville. A case-control study, comparing school age children with a school delay (Group 1 or cases) to those who had not school delay (Group 2 or control), was carried out between February and July 2013. It included students of CM2 (primary 6) and those of 3^ème (form 4) of both public and private schools of Brazzaville. The sample selection was made according to a random survey by strata, the number of strata was set to 2. The sample consisted of 2064 pupils including 1138 girls (55.1%). A total of 2064 students (1138 male/926 female), 792 of them had a school delay, with a prevalence of 38.3%. It was 27% in the private sector and 46.9% in the public one; 28.2% in primary education compared to 48.1% in the college; 27.8% in girls and 48.8% in boys (p < 0.001). 21.4% of students in CM2 (primary 6) of the public and 16.7% in the private sector had repeated classes 3 times; 4.2% of students in 3ème (form 4) of the public education had repeated classes 4 times. Kindergarten program attendance had a positive effect on later school performances (p < 0.05). The parent’s level of education and socio-economic status of the family (low and mean for students in CM2 of public schools and of 3ème of private schools, high for pupils in CM2 of private schools) and underweight among pupils in CM2 of the private sector were significantly correlated with school delay (p < 0.05). The prevalence of school delay was high in Brazzaville (38.3%), boys were more affected than girls. The kindergarten program attendance was found to have a positive effect on later school performances, while parent’s low level of education and low socioeconomic status of the family significantly influenced the rate of school delay in children in Brazzaville. The high prevalence of school delay in child in Brazzaville imposed substantial actions, in addition to the efforts already made.

School Delay, Child, Brazzaville

Mabiala-Babela, J. , Mandilou, S. , Nika, E. and Moyen, G. (2016) School Delay of Child in Brazzaville (Congo). Creative Education, 7, 419-427. doi: 10.4236/ce.2016.73041.