École normale supérieure (Atakpamé)

The École normale supérieure was established on 4 September 1968, by decree from Gnassingbé Eyadéma.^[1][2] It is located in Atakpamé, the capital of the Plateaux region.^[2][3] The institution is organized like other ENS schools, offering education in the sciences or the humanities and social sciences, and is intended to train teachers.^[4][5] In the 1980s, one of the teachers, Jacob Gozo, was dismissed and then threatened with internment in a military camp by Gnassingbé Eyadéma's Minister of the Interior, Kpotivi Tévi Ojidjogbe Laclé.^[6]

At the beginning of the 21st century the institution continued to face challenges, such as difficulty in curbing violence and sexual violence in Togolese schools, despite efforts to address both issues.^[4][7] Initially, the institution was designed to train middle school teachers, but starting in 2010, it also began training future high school teachers.^[8]

In 2022 it implemented a series of reforms and ceased direct recruitment into the Togolese civil service, which sparked protests and criticism.^[9][10] In 2023, the school joined the LMD system; at that time, it had 744 students, including 232 women.^[11][12] The following year, it announced the establishment of another ENS in Niamtougou.^[13][14][15]

Each year a "Semaine du Normalien" (Normalien Week) is organized, featuring various activities.^[16] The school has its own football team, which competes in matches against other university institutions in the country.^[17]