Chad is a centralised republic dominated by a strong presidency. Despite having a multi-party system of government, power remains concentrated in an oligarchy from the President's Zaghawa ethnic group.

A culture of impunity has resulted for a ruling minority that came to power in a 1990 rebellion. An attempted coup in early 2006 was foiled, and over 100 military personnel were disciplined. Elections in 2006 were boycotted by opposition parties, and voter turnout was reported to be extremely low. Rebel groups did not carry out threats to disrupt voting. An amendment to the Constitution allowed the incumbent to win a third term with 64.67% of the vote.

Chad elects the President as head of state and the 155-seat legislature, the National Assembly. In 2006 the Patriotic Salvation Movement won 113 of the 155 seats. The election was deemed fair by the African Union, but this judgment was contested by other groups. The Prime Minister is nominated by the President and confirmed by the National Assembly. He is now the nephew of the President. There are 10 women in the Assembly.

The judiciary is independent in law but is underfunded and subject to violence and executive interference. The law is a combination of the Napoleonic code and customary law; the Muslim concept of dia, which involves a payment to the family of a victim of crime, is widely practised.

Discrimination on the basis of origin, race, religion, political opinion or social status is prohibited, but the legislation is not enforced.
Corruption is reported as a serious problem. Security forces are accused of collecting payments for non-existent subordinates.

Subsistence agriculture employs more than 80% of the workforce. The Gross Domestic Product per capita is US$536, in part due to oil revenues. Oil exports began in 2003, and the first revenues were returned to the country in 2005. The government is dependent on international financial institutions. Therefore, to try to avoid corrupt use of this revenue, which is reported to be earmarked for health, education, agriculture, environment and infrastructure, a monitoring body, the College of Control and Surveillance of Petroleum Resources, has been established.

The conflict in Darfur in Sudan is near Chad's border and has resulted in growing numbers of militia and rebels operating in this area. Security forces are accused of extra-judicial killings and torture.

Privacy rights are infringed, and press freedom is limited. Journalists are harassed and detained. Internet access is not restricted. Reports note illegal wiretaps and monitoring of private mail and communication through the main post office Internet server. Social discrimination is practised against homosexuals, those afflicted with HIV/AIDS and members of some ethnic groups.

Chad is a country of origin for children trafficked for the purposes of forced labour and sexual exploitation. Boys are trafficked internally for use as herders, and girls are trafficked into prostitution in the oil-producing area.

A modest increase in education finance is reported, but the education sector remains inadequately funded. The focus has been on increasing infrastructure and classroom facilities. The law providing for compulsory education does not specify how long the compulsory period should be. The legislation is not enforced. Education is supposed to be free, but tuition and other costs are borne by parents.

Almost half the teachers are hired and paid by parent-teacher associations without government input. Many children who do attend school receive an inadequate education because of poorly trained and underpaid teachers, overcrowded classrooms and a lack of basic teaching tools such as textbooks, blackboards and pens and paper.

The traditional tasks of young girls limit their educational opportunities. The percentage of girls enrolled in secondary school is extremely low compared with boys; early marriage and costs are contributing factors.

In November 2005, following a confrontation between a teacher and three of the President's children, a private high school closed for a week. Members of the Republican Guard arrived to take into custody the teacher involved in having the children expelled. The teacher went into hiding and the school closed for fear of retaliation.

Muslim children attend Islamic schools (Mahadjir) which force them to beg for food and money. A conference to raise public awareness of Mahadjir children and discuss appropriate interventions has been held.

No statistical information is available on ECE.

Education is compulsory but the age levels are not stipulated. Children attend primary school at ages 6 to 11. A Net Enrolment Rate (NER) of 57% (68% of boys, 46% of girls) is reported. 24% of students repeat a grade level. Of students who begin primary education, 37% survive to the last grade of primary school (43% of boys, 28% of girls). At this level, 16,228 teachers are employed (10% female). The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is an astronomical 69 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 12 and should last for 7 years. The NER is 11% (16% of boys, 5% of girls). 21% of students repeat a grade level.

The only statistical information available for the tertiary level is that 2,018 students from Chad study abroad, mainly in Cameroon (1,165), France (421), Morocco (141), USA (95) and Saudi Arabia (50).

When students demonstrated peacefully in front of the administrative building at the University of N'Djamena protesting the government's attempt to annul the election of student union leaders, police attacked them and dispersed them with excessive force and tear gas. The Minister of Territorial Administration has banned all activities of the Union of Chadian Students, and police regularly disrupt student gatherings.

UNICEF estimates there are some 600 child soldiers serving in government forces and armed militias. Services to integrate and rehabilitate these children into the community and into education are required.

UNICEF also estimates there are some 10,000 street children, a number that is increasing according to newspaper reports. NGOs provide education and temporary shelters to assist street children, minors in detention, HIV/AIDS orphans, sexually abused and trafficked children and children in armed conflict. Nomadic child herders in the south also require special programmes.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concern about the limited infrastructure, lack of qualified staff and specialised institutions and the lack of legislation protecting children with disabilities against discrimination. Deficiencies in addressing the special needs of children with mental disabilities was also a cause for concern. The government operates only a few therapy and education programmes for children with disabilities, though for some of them NGOs provide skills training.

The Constitution does not provide for the granting of asylum or refugee status and is not in accordance with the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, but the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. The government cooperates with the UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations.

Since the crisis began in Darfur, Sudanese refugees have poured across the Chad border. More than 220,000, mostly women and children, live in 12 refugee camps with few resources. Incursions into Chad by Janjaweed and violence by rebels in Chad have made life even more difficult for fleeing refugees. Refugee life is tough and dangerous, especially for girls. A 7- to 10-hour workday is the norm for 35% of refugee children, while more than half of refugee children are undernourished. Educational opportunities are few and grossly overcrowded.

In addition to the refugees from Darfur, Chad hosts 30,000 refugees from the Central African Republic and smaller numbers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Anti-refugee sentiment among the citizens is high due to pressure on local resources such as wood, water and grazing land. The provision to refugees of goods and services not available to the local population has caused dissent. Concern is expressed about the possibility of the militarisation of refugee camps.

Approximately 200 ethnic groups speak 128 distinct primary languages. Most ethnic groups are affiliated with one of two cultural traditions: Arab and Saharan-zone Muslims in the north, centre, and east and Sudanese Christian or animist groups in the south. Urbanisation and desertification have resulted in the integration of these groups in some areas. Discrimination is evident in employment. Ethnicity influences government appointments and political alliances. Education does not address minority issues.

Academic freedom is not legally restricted, but interception of mail and email applies to academics as to others. The climate in the country is not conducive to academic freedom.

Discrimination against women is widespread. Lacking equal opportunities for education and training, women have difficulty finding work in the few formal sector jobs. Property and inheritance laws discriminate against women when adjudicated by traditional practice.

Domestic violence is common. Wives are subject to the authority of their husbands. Family members are reported to have killed women for breaking social customs. The practice of female genital mutilation is prohibited but deeply rooted in tradition. Women do most of the agricultural labour and are discouraged from formal schooling. Illiteracy is estimated at 66% for women, compared with 48% for men.

Polygyny has become a controversial issue between Muslim and Christian communities during the revision of the Family Code. Families arrange marriages for girls as young as 12 or 13; the minimum legal age for engagements is 11. The Penal Code outlaws forced marriages of minors, but the practice continues as does the custom of buying and selling child brides.

The labour law provides that anyone under age 18 is a child and prohibits children from "undertaking any work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it was carried out, was likely to harm the health, safety, or morals of children." Yet child labour, including forced child labour, continues to be a serious problem. The minimum age for employment in the formal sector is 14. A UNICEF study showed that 65.5% of minors work performing domestic chores for more than 4 hours per day. Some 20% of children aged 6 to 18 work in the informal sector.

Abusive and exploitative child labour affects 20% of children aged 6 to 18. Families contract out children to nomadic herders to help care for their animals. The children are often abused and returned with little financial compensation. There are credible reports of children forced into slavery. With only 30 labour inspectors in the entire country, it is impossible to enforce child labour laws.

Workers are free to join or form trade unions, except members of the armed forces. In the formal sector, more than 90% of employees are union members, but the majority of workers are in unpaid subsistence agriculture. The government is the largest employer. Collective bargaining is permitted, and workers have the right to strike, though essential services must be maintained. Forced or compulsory labour is illegal, but it occurs, even in the formal economy. Prisoners are required to work. Imprisonment with forced labour is the penalty for participation in illegal strikes.

The minimum wage, set by the government, is US$45 (25,480 FCFA) per month, which does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family.