BUJUMBURA October 1st (ABP) – New developments in the Education Sector, projects in progress, the mobilization of the necessary funds for the execution of the projects selected for the financial year 2020-2021 and the prospects for the Education (GSE) were on the agenda of a meeting of the Education Sector Group held on Tuesday in Bujumbura. It was chaired by the Minister in charge of National Education, Mr. Gaspard Banyankimbona, a check by ABP revealed.
The highlight of the meeting was the signing of the convention between the Ministry in charge of Education and the Resident Representative of UNICEF in Burundi, Mr. Agrobor John.
Through that convention, the Ministry in charge of Education delegates UNICEF in the construction of school infrastructure with funding from the Global Education Partnership (PME). That falls within the framework of the implementation of the “Twige Neza” project which is piloted by the Ministry in charge of National Education.
The inadequacy of school infrastructure is one of the major challenges facing Burundi because the plethora of students in existing classes with all the consequences that this entails in terms of pedagogical life, is a reality.
In addition, there are other no less important challenges linked, among other things, to the lack of benches, the lack of qualified teaching staff at both basic and post-basic levels, insufficient textbooks, and so on. Some officials in the education sector regret that there are currently children who sit on the floor for lack of benches and the excess number of pupils.
The meeting participants made a number of recommendations mainly related to the training of teachers of craft teaching schools, the strengthening of the participation of parents in the management of basic and post-basic schools, the implementation of inspection of teaching at all levels in public and private schools and training of teaching staff in the use of laboratory equipment and library management. Other recommendations made concerned support for the graduate school of the University of Burundi and the use of academic skills available to higher education in the implementation of certain projects of the ministry.
It is worthy to mention that this Partner Group is made up of international partners including UNICEF, the World Bank, the Francophone Community University Agency (AUF), civil society engaged in the field of Education, unions, representatives of parents and other actors involved in this sector.