During the 1970s the Togolese government undertook a campaign to offer free education for all children between the ages of 2 and 15. In 1996 nearly all primary school-aged children attended school, but only 27 % of secondary school-aged students were listed. In the 1996 school year 859,600 pupils were listed in primary schools, and 178,300 students were listed in secondary schools. Missionary schools remain valuable in the nation, educating about half the pupils. around 13,100 students were listed in 1996-1997 at the University of Benin.