In Burkina Faso, the quality of education and access to education are major issues. 1,650,000 children and adolescents do not attend school; among those who are lucky enough to attend a school, many give up or finish their primary education without knowing how to properly read or write.

A commitment to quality bilingual education

At the request of the Burkina Faso Ministry of Education, Enfants du Monde's education specialists train actors in the educational chain and accompany the design of teaching materials to improve the quality of education.

As such, in 30 bilingual schools in the country, students are not only taught in French, the official language of the country, but also in their mother tongue language, for example the Moore. This facilitates understanding and learning for students who often start school not knowing French.

Lessons are adapted to the local context

Through its supports of local actors, Enfants du Monde contributes to developing content of various taught subjects, making them relevant in the eyes of the local population, responding to their needs and those of the children. The acquired knowledge can then be used in their daily life.

For example, during a mathematics class at the bilingual school of Masséré, the teacher uses real 500 Francs CFA bank notes and coins of 100F, 50F and 25F. He asks the students to name merchandise and products that we can buy with a 500FCA coin or bank note and how this sum can be broken down with other coins. By familiarizing themselves with bank notes and coins, the objective aims to allow students to internalise their respective value and to understand the differences in the functioning of monetary systems according to French or Moore languages.

Equally, the activities encourage routine of simple calculations and the development of mental maths skills in students.

Children that do not go to school do not know how to calculate and their parents don’t dare entrust them with money. I know how to count. My parents send me to the market, and I come back with the exact change. Madina, 9 years old, Burkina Faso.

The knowledge and skills acquired helps thousands of disadvantaged children to construct a future. In 2020, our education programme in Burkina Faso allowed 3,945 students to benefit from a quality education, of which 50% were girls.

Learning of maths through the use of bank notes and coins at the bilingual school in Massaré, Burkina Faso © Enfants du Monde