ra ka ▁remained ▁in ▁power ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁and ▁failed ▁to ▁achieve ▁significant ▁improvements ▁in ▁education ▁throughout ▁his ▁ten ure . ▁ ▁Education ▁was ▁prior it ized ▁under ▁the ▁R aval oman ana ▁administration ▁( 2 0 0 2 – 0 9 ), ▁and ▁is ▁currently ▁free ▁and ▁comp uls ory ▁from ▁ages ▁ 6 ▁to ▁ 1 3 . ▁The ▁primary ▁school ing ▁cycle ▁is ▁five ▁years , ▁followed ▁by ▁four ▁years ▁at ▁the ▁lower ▁secondary ▁level ▁and ▁three ▁years ▁at ▁the ▁upper ▁secondary ▁level . ▁During ▁R aval oman ana ' s ▁first ▁term , ▁thousands ▁of ▁new ▁primary ▁schools ▁and ▁additional ▁class rooms ▁were ▁constructed , ▁older ▁buildings ▁were ▁renov ated , ▁and ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁new ▁primary ▁teachers ▁were ▁rec ru ited ▁and ▁trained . ▁Primary ▁school ▁fe es ▁were ▁elimin ated , ▁and ▁k its ▁containing ▁basic ▁school ▁supplies ▁were ▁distributed ▁to ▁primary ▁students . ▁ ▁Government ▁school ▁construction ▁initi atives ▁have ▁ens ured ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁primary ▁school ▁per ▁f ok ont any ▁and ▁one ▁lower ▁secondary ▁school ▁within ▁each ▁commune . ▁At ▁least ▁one ▁upper ▁secondary ▁school ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁urban ▁cent ers . ▁The ▁three ▁branches ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁public ▁university ▁are ▁located ▁at ▁Ant an an ar ivo , ▁Mah aj anga , ▁and ▁F ian ar ant so a . ▁These ▁are ▁complement ed ▁by ▁public ▁teacher - training ▁colleg es ▁and ▁several ▁private ▁univers ities ▁and ▁technical ▁colleg