With funding from the Global Partnership for Education, UNICEF supports the Programme to support learning continuity in emergency situations in Burundi
Akeza Labelle Bella
October 2022, Rugombo - Cibitoke. The Rugombo I basic School is one of the basic schools benefiting from the construction of new classrooms and the provision of desks through the Program to Support Continuity of Learning in Emergency Situations (PACASU TUBARAMIRE) in Burundi.
The overall objective of the PACASU -TUBARAMIRE program is to ensure the continuity of inclusive and inequitable education in emergency situations, in order to ensure every child's right to education regardless of the circumstances.
''We started the 2022-2023 school year a little behind others due to lack of desks. The director asked us to wait at home, but as soon as UNICEF honored us with this gift of desks, we immediately began to study'', says Chancil Igiraneza, one of the students at this school.
The chronic crises that Burundi has experienced have weakened basic social services, particularly education. The government's financial resources are not sufficient to provide adequate infrastructure to accommodate the ever-increasing school population.
’Last year, there were so many students that 5 of us had to sit on a desk bench normally reserved for 3 students. In total, we were 187 students sharing the same classroom. And we had to rush to leave the class for another group of the same number. The first-grade class was always so crowded that some students had to sit on the floor because of the lack of desks," said Gloria Uwamahoro.
The enrolment rate started to increase in Burundi with the introduction of free primary education (6 to 12 years old) in 2005, which was extended to basic education (13 to 15 years old) in 2013; all this to promote the enrolment of children from families with limited resources.
As a result of these measures, a rapid increase in enrollment has followed, from 2314823 children enrolled in preschool and basic education in 2005 to 2681835 in 2020, an increase of 16%. [i]
However, even if all these measures have favored the access of many children to school, the needs resulting from this increase, accentuated by natural disasters and population displacements, constitute an obstacle to the continuity and quality of learning.
‘’Before the new classroom and benches were made available to us, we often failed for many reasons because we could not stay in the classroom with other students. With so many students in the class, it was not as easy to keep up with the teacher, which led to many dropouts. But now, everything has changed, our performance in class has improved, we are not so many in one class. We don't have to leave the class quickly to make room for others, there is room for everyone," explains Chancil Igiraneza.