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Burundi’s president pledges to provide free primary schooling for all children

Burundi’s president pledges to provide free primary schooling for all children

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has applauded Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza’s pledge to provide free primary education for every child as the country emerges from years of civil war.

“This is an incredible opportunity for Burundi to be engaged in meeting the Millennium Development Goals – to meet the objective of universal primary education for all children," UNICEF Representative in Burundi Catherine Mbengue said yesterday. “We applaud the decision made by President Nkurunziza. He has put the children’s right to education on the agenda of his government.”

The primary school enrolment ratio for Burundian children is estimated at 59 per cent for boys and 48 per cent for girls, according to UNICEF estimates.

Mr. Nkurunziza made the pledge late last month at his inauguration, which was the climax of a long regional peace process and signalled an end to the civil war in which more than 300,000 people were killed in the last 12 years. The new education policy was to take effect immediately.

Ms. Mbengue said that given the challenges of recovering from the civil war, from HIV/AIDS and poverty, Burundi’s school fees had been a significant barrier keeping children out of school. “With the new policy, schools are open for them. We also see this as a good opportunity to make the schools into safe havens for the children.”

UNICEF said it would work to mobilize international resources and support the Government in implementing the new primary education policy.