Public education in the Central African Republic is free, and education is compulsory from ages 6 to 14.[1] AIDS-related deaths have taken a heavy toll on teachers, contributing to the closure of more than 100 primary schools between 1996 and 1998.[1] In 1991, the gross primary enrollment rate was 56.9 percent.[1] In 2000, the net primary enrollment rate for children between the ages of 6 and 11 was 43 percent.[1] Primary school attendance rates were unavailable for the Central African Republic as of 2001.[1] While enrollment rates indicate a level of commitment to education, they do not always reflect children’s participation in school.[1] The educational system’s meager budget and salary arrears have resulted in a shortage of teachers and an increase in the number of street children.[1] The percentage of the national budget allocated to education, which traditionally stood at less than 12 percent, increased to 18 percent in the late 1990s.[1] According to the government, it will further increase to 25 percent by 2010.[1]
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