Burkina Faso
Context and needs: According to the UN Human Development Report 2007/2008, Burkina Faso ranks 176th out of 177 countries in the Human Development Index. This is partly due to the country’s extremely weak social indicators, including those related to basic education. The education system in Burkina Faso consists of a formal system (schools, universities and vocational training) and a non-formal system (education outside schools, which includes literacy, training and the development of the literate environment). It has the following characteristics:
- Access to basic formal and non-formal education is inadequate and unequal. The overall gross schooling rate was 72.5% in 2008 (67.5% for girls). Although the rate has improved, it is still one of the lowest in West Africa. The illiteracy rate was approximately 70% in 2007 (61.7% for girls).
- There is a wide gap between rural and urban areas, as well as large regional disparities (the schooling rate is 94% in the capital Ouagadougou, compared with 16% in the eastern part of the country).
- There are major disparities between girls and boys – despite legislation on gender equality – in terms of access to schooling, the schooling process and the exam success rate.
- The quality of education is poor, although some progress has been made. Large numbers of children repeat a year (an average of 20% between 2007 and 2008).
- There is not enough funding, although there has been some progress (20% of the government’s budget is spent on basic and higher education, with 10.37% being spent on basic education in 2009).
The population grew by an estimated 3.1% in 2008 and will have doubled by 2030. As a result, the number of people learning to read and the number of children requiring schooling are increasing rapidly.
Overall goal and the current programme: To contribute to promoting access to good quality education that is culturally oriented and financially viable for communities. The SDC’s aim is to support the development of an education system in Burkina Faso that encourages human and social advancement.
Details: The SDC has supported the government's efforts for thirty years. First and foremost, it supports non-formal education (NFE). This provides learning opportunities to numerous children, young people and adults who have not received schooling and has led to the development of innovative methods to adapt teaching to different groups. This is done by using African languages in teaching, offering bilingual education, taking into account indigenous knowledge and culture, involving communities in education-related decision-making and developing practical and vocational skills that correspond to the opportunities available. In Burkina Faso, NFE has been developed more successfully than in other countries in the sub-region due to the continued, combined efforts of the government and civil society. The country has adopted a national “make-do” strategy that clearly defines the roles of the various stakeholders and allows civil society to provide education services. Burkina Faso also has a national fund for literacy and NFE (Fonds pour l’Alphabétisation et l’ENF – FONAENF), and the strategy is implemented through this financing structure. The SDC continues to support (1) the changes being made (including those at the decentralised levels) and the long-term application of NFE in national education policy; (2) educational innovation, in order to find solutions for the challenges that the country still faces, particularly by developing training for those who have received primary education or the first level of NFE; and (3) providing teachers with university training.
Resources:
|
Project/programme |
Partners |
Start of collaboration |
Current stage |
SDC contri-bution in CHF |
Other partners |
|
1. Support programme for basic education |
Various partners |
Since 2006 |
Stage 2: 01/05/09-30/04/12 |
4,950,000 |
Various donors through FONAENF and CAST |
|
2. Contribution to FONAENF |
FONAENF |
Since 2002 |
Stage 4: 01/03/2009 to 29/02/2012 |
4,750,000 |
Amount equivalent to 9.2% of the FONAENF budget. The rest of the financing comes from other donors, the private sector and other entities involved in non-formal education. |
|
3. Regional teacher training project |
University of Ouagadougou |
Since 2001 |
Stage 2: 01/09/2007-31/08/2010 |
1,310,000 |
Enfants du monde/IDEA, and the University of Geneva’s Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. |
Achievements so far: The main achievements have been in structural work and teaching innovation, as well as the SDC’s Alpha programme from 1988 to 2008.
- The policy dialogue led by the SDC and the solid efforts of other entities have brought about fundamental changes in Burkina Faso’s education system, making it a role model in the region.
- The SDC is recognised as a leading organisation in NFE.
- The Alpha programme contributed to improving access to education by providing support for emerging organisations and putting the FONAENF to practical use. Between its creation in 2002 and 2007, the FONAENF raised just over CHF 50 million, including a contribution of CHF 5 million from the government of Burkina Faso. In terms of its achievements, over 12% of the country’s funding for literacy since 2002 has come from the FONAENF, enabling 433,363 people (57% of whom were women) to learn to read.
- By connecting literacy and gender, the SDC has greatly increased the number of women signing up for literacy courses. Specific training courses have enabled women leaders to emerge.
- By supporting educational and teaching innovation such as multi-topic training centres, the Reflect method, the Pedagogy of Text, bilingual schools and community schools, the SDC has helped to improve the quality and relevance of education. The retention rate rose from 89% in 2005 to 95% in 2009, and the success rate from 70% to 90%. The dropout rate has fallen from 30% in 2005.
- By bringing together literacy and specific technical training relating to micro development projects, the SDC has improved living conditions in rural communities.
- Implementation of the make-do strategy has improved. The skills of rural organisations have been strengthened and they are now in charge of training field workers (coordinators and supervisors in basic literacy) with the help of representatives from the regional authorities for basic education and literacy. Capacities have been developed to monitor and design literacy programmes and training that meet the needs and expectations of the communities and the learners.
- Over the past ten years, the Swiss support has helped 50,000 people a year receive education or learn to read.
Documents and further information:
SDC support for education in Burkina Faso: further information (being prepared)
Contact person: Alfred Zongo, head of the education programme
