Education in Burkina Faso

Ongoing conflict since 2015 has led to a humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso and taken a heavy toll on the education sector.

Enrollment in primary and secondary education has been steadily declining, and in 2019, 54% of children aged 6 to 16 were out of school. With over 6,000 schools closed and one million children and 31,000 teachers affected by the crisis, Burkina Faso aims to build resilience and better meet the needs of all children.

As outlined in Burkina Faso’s Partnership Compact, the government is working with GPE and other partners to ensure access to education for all in a context of humanitarian and security crises. Spanning pre-primary to secondary education, reform efforts include developing education service provision through infrastructure building and development of alternative education and distance learning.

A holistic education in emergencies approach will support learners affected by crises, girls and vulnerable children; and better teacher recruitment, allocation and professional development will contribute to improved teaching and learning.

The country’s commitment to gender-responsive planning and policy development aims to address inequalities to the detriment of girls.

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting:

• The Coalition Nationale Pour l’Éducation Pour Tous du Burkina Faso for the 2020-2023 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).
• Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage for the 2021-2023 period.
• Civil society partnership for advocacy for non-formal education led by Groupe de Recherche et d'Action pour le Développement (GRADE) for the 2021-2024 period.

Learn more

• Burkina Faso is part of the KIX Africa 21 regional hub.
• KIX research projects:
  • Observatory on COVID-19 Responses in Educational Systems in Africa
  • Data Must Speak about Positive Deviance Approaches to Learning
  • A New Model of Bridging Classes to Improve Learning of Out-of-School Children and Youth
  • Improving Knowledge on Gender Norms to Promote Gender Equality in Schools in Africa