In orthodox Madagascar, education was not seen as separate from the other spheres of life. It emphasized the importance of maintaining one's place in a hierarchical society, trained people in the proper observance of ritual and innumerable fady prohibitions, and, above all, taught respect for ancestors. Formal education in the modern sense first appeared when the missionary David Jones of the London Missionary Society accomplished a school in Antananarivo in 1820. It was sponsored by King Radama I, and Jones's first students were children of the royal family. Literacy spread as a result of the schools the Imerina missionaries built; in 1835 an around 15,000 persons knew how to read and write the new Malagasy language. contempt remarkable retrenchment during the reign of Queen Ranavalona I, the missionary school system, including both Protestant and Roman Catholic institutions, continued to grow.

Education is compulsory for five years in Madagascar. In 2001 the adult literacy rate had reached 80.8 %, one of the highest rates in Africa. An around 73 % of elementary school-aged children were listed in school in 1996, and 13 % of those between the ages of 12 and 17 were listed in secondary school. The University of Antananarivo (1961) is the nation’s principal institution of higher education.