Burkina Faso: Education By: Crystal Tseng and Choyeon Yoo

Overview/Statistics• 14.75 million population (2010) • Completion of the sixth primary grade is the minimum

required to make literacy irreversible• Only 3 out of 10 children complete the 6th grade• Only 25% of girls finish the last year of primary school

• 41% gross primary school enrollment, 12% secondary school enrollment, and 1% university enrollment

• Overall 22% adult literacy rate• Placed last in UNESCO’s EFA Development Index• EFA Development Index provides an assessment of a country’s

education system

Challenges• High cost of schooling• Distance of schools• Low school access rate (Only 66% for primary and 17% for

secondary)• High opportunity costs for poor families – where they rather

have their children work to contribute to family income• Language Barrier – Education is mainly conducted in French

but only 15% of Burkinabe speak French.• The low completion rate is due to a high level of repeaters in

primary public schools • many schools do not offer six grades of schooling

Burkina Faso compared to the rest of Africa• The primary school completion rate rose from 19 percent to

31 percent between 1991 and 2003 but it also remains one of the lowest in African countries.

• Before adopting the 10 Year Basic Education Development program, Burkina Faso had one of the weakest education systems in the world.

Current education reform policies adopted by the government• Relies heavily on program-based approaches • 10-year Basic Education Development Plan, Education for All –

Fast Track Initiative, non formal basic education program• 10-year Basic Education Development Plan• Aims to improve enrollment rate nationwide

• Education for All – Fast Track Initiative• Aims to close financial gaps that prevent the success of education

goals• Non formal basic education program• Aims to give vocational education to children who dropped out of

school or never went to school

10-Year Basic Education Development Plan

• Adopted by Burkina Faso’s government in 2001-2002 to develop/strengthen Burkina Faso’s educational system

• 3 principal components• Greater access to basic education• Increasing the supply of basic education, including alternative education,

and reducing socio-economic, regional and gender disparities• Greater quality and effectiveness of basic education• Improving the quality, relevance and effectiveness of basic education and

developing coherence and integration between the various levels and styles of education

• Build capacity of institutional and system management• Build capacity to lead, manage, and access education structures, as well as

coordinate external assistance

• Performance of program relies on: • Number of new contract teachers recruited within the last year• Construction of new schools• Pupil-teacher ratio in public schools• Gender equality• government/political support• Including education expenditure as a percentage of the GDP and

government budget• Primary education expenditure as a percentage of total education budget

• Results• Gross enrollment rate increased from 52.9%-78.3% from 2002-2008,

the number of classes have been increased by 70% from 2002-2008

Non Formal Basic Education• Provides basic education and vocational apprenticeship

training • Designed to ensure a better social/economic integration into

society of young people who did not have a chance to complete school in a formal system

• Targets out of school children aged 9-15. It is one of the strategies in Burkina Faso designed to increase the school enrollment rate to 70%, and literacy rate to 40%

Fast Track Initiative• Global partnership of developing and donor countries,

agencies, NGOs, and private/public foundations to support the education system in developing countries

• Support country’s education plan with increased financial support and funding, closing financial gaps that prevent the goals.

• Mobilize resources, and align with country’s development priorities

Historical Education Trends

Primary school enrollment (% gross)

Data from World Bank

Historical Education Trends

Secondary school enrollment (% gross)

Data from World Bank

Historical Education Trends

Tertiary school enrollment (% gross)

Data from World Bank

Historical Education Trends

Ratio of female to male primary enrollment (%)

Data from World Bank

Historical Education Trends

Ratio of female to male secondary enrollment (%)

Data from World Bank

Historical Education Trends

Ratio of female to male tertiary enrollment (%)

Data from World Bank

Historical Education Trends

Adult literacy rate(% of people ages 15 and above)

Data from World Bank

World Bank’s role in BF’s education development• The 1st Education Project (1973-1980)• support rural youth training programs• promote science education in secondary schools

• The 2nd Education Project (1979 -1986) • train agricultural project managers and public works personnel

• The Primary Education Development Project (1985-1994)• expanse of primary education • enable reduction of per pupil costs

• The 4th Education Project( 1991 -1998 )• increase school enrollment rates

• The fifth project (since 1997)• assist the government in promoting secondary education

World Bank’s role in BF’s education development• International Development Association (IDA) • Part of the World Bank, program that reduces poverty by providing loans to for

programs boost economic and social growth, and reduce inequalities • Supports/funds the 10-year basic education reform program

• Funded $32.6 mil out of the $110 mil program cost• This program enabled Burkina Faso to be eligible for the Fast Track Initiative (FTI)• Relies heavily on political support

IDA’s Approach• 3 phase program to support government’s 10-Year Basic Education Program• 1) Establish a basket of coordinated funding for education reform from various

donors. (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the European Commision, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and other NGOs)

• 2) Improve access to primary education in rural areas – particularly in the 20 provinces with the lowest enrollment rate, by additional construction and rehabilitation of schools, and financing of equipment, teachers and facilities.

• 3) Support curriculum development and teacher training, and focusing particularly to financial management, budgeting, and donor coordination.

Results of IDA• Gross enrollment rate (2000-2006) nationwide increased from

42% (36% for girls) to 62% (55% for girls)• Within the the 20 provinces with the lowest enrollment rate,

gross enrollment rose from 30% (24% for girls) to 47% (41% for girls)

• Additional 550,000 kids have been enrolled in primary school• Additional 7000 classrooms were built (mostly in rural areas)• More than 5 mil textbooks were purchased and distributed to

students and schools• Additional teacher recruitment and their assignment to rural

areas, the number of public teachers have increased 8% since 2000

• Better allocation of resources within the education sector

UNICEF’s role in Burkina Faso’s education reform• Support the Non Formal Basic Education (CEBNF) program• Aim to establish at least 5 of these centers in each the 45

provinces in the country• Results: Having completed the 4 year CEBNF course, students are

able to read and write in French• Provides professional trainings, assists with construction of

buildings for these centers, and provides equipment. • Local resource people are recruited as teachers and trained to use

“learning by doing” techniques so the students can gain practical skills

UNICEF’s role in Burkina Faso’s education reform• Support the Non Formal Basic Education (CEBNF) program• Targets out-of-school youths for a second chance for education• Aim to establish at least 5 of these centers in each the 45 provinces in

the country• Results: Having completed the 4 year CEBNF course, students are able

to read and write in French• Provides professional trainings, assists with construction of buildings

for these centers, and provides equipment. • Local resource people are recruited as teachers and trained to use

“learning by doing” techniques so the students can gain practical skills

• Support the development of the cycle literacy/basic education • Students’ parents association• Mothers Educators Associations • Management Committees from schools and education centers.

• Given through the state• Average of 200 members are trained every year in literacy.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA5aLp4natw

Work Cited• http://www.unicef.org/bfa/english/index.html• http://

www.intervida.org/en/publications/solidary-news/the-reality-of-education-in-burkina-faso

• http://web.worldbank.org/• http://

www.mfdr.org/sourcebook/6-90BurkinaFaso-Ten-Year.pdf• http://data.worldbank.org/• http

://aadcice.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/e/publications/sosho4_1-02.pdf

Thank you.