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 Gross enrolment ratio. Tertiary (ISCED 5 and 6). Total is the total enrollment in tertiary education (ISCED 5 and 6), regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the five-year age group following on from secondary school leaving. 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 1975 1991 1996 2004 2005 2007 Female 3.182766 8.225427 8.05798 15.18877 16.62224 21.57957 Male 14.52849 19.62613 18.51779 29.362 31.44193 36.68067 Total 8.685145 13.56923 12.84817 21.82292 23.55372 28.72921 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 The World Bank's support to education in Burkina Faso began in the 1970s and includes to date five major projects funded through the International Development Agency (IDA). The First Education Project, approved in 1973 and completed in 1980, targeted training in the non-formal sector through provision of basic education to rural youth, and promoted science education in secondary schools. The Second Education Project, approved in 1979 and completed in 1986, continued supporting rural youth training programs, especially through in-service training to agricultural project managers and public works personnel. The Primary Education Development Project, approved in 1985 and completed in 1994, contributed to the expansion of primary education and enabled reduction of per pupil costs through provision of low-cost textbooks and teaching materials, implementing cost-effective methods for school construction, and improving overall sector management by providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Basic Education and Literacy [MEBA], the Ministry of Secondary and Higher Education and Research [MESSRS], and the Ministry of Rural Cooperatives. The Fourth Education Project, launched in 1991 and completed in 1998, built on the achievements of the third project. It focused on increasing school enrollment rates and strengthening the education sector by improving teaching training, increasing the number of classrooms, distributing micro-nutrients to pupils and expanding school canteens, supporting girls' education programs, and providing education managers with training to improve their administrative and managerial competence. The fifth project, effective since 1997 and ongoing, is known as the Post-Primary Education Project. It is designed to assist the government in promoting secondary education by constructing and providing resources for "Colleges d'enseignement general" (CEGs), i.e., lower secondary schools, reforming and improving teacher training, promoting cost-effective and equitable use of public education resources, and developing secondary school education curricula. The project's main goal is to improve the quality of secondary education and increase access to it. The project also aims to improve the capacity of relevant government agencies to plan and manage secondary education and scientific research within such schools. More recently, the World Bank and other partners of MEBA have been actively supporting the government's efforts to design the country's first Ten-Year Basic Education Development Plan, and are poised to provide funding and technical assistance for its implementation due to begin in less than a year. The major goal of this plan is to equitably increase gross enrollment rates to 70% while still improving quality. Young adult and adult literacy is another area the plan is designed to target.

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.