Thousands of Burkina Faso schools closed in fear of militant attacks

Raids by armed militants have forced the closure of more than 3,000 schools in Burkina Faso, affecting thousands of students and teachers.

As of December 31 last year, 3,280 schools had been closed, the Ministry of National Education, Literacy and the Promotion of National Languages said on Wednesday.

The figure accounts for 13.09 percent of the country's schools, or 511,221 students and 14,901 teachers.

"…There are reasons for concern," government spokesperson Alkassoum Maiga said at a press briefing.

Only 205 schools with 39,812 students and 1,099 teachers have been reopened and some 25 schools relocated, Maiga said.

"This allows us to meet the education imperative, especially for those in exam classes," he said, pointing to the re-enrollment of 135,981 students whose parents are internally displaced persons (IDPs).

READ MORE: Suspected militants stage deadly attack in Burkina Faso

Uncertainty looms

In May 2021, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that closures affected 304,450 students (156,456 boys and 147,994 girls) and 11,068 teachers (7,259 men and 3,809 women). It reported "a fairly turbulent security situation" in the country.

The West African nation has been the target of recurring terrorist attacks since 2015.

After “the first Burkinabe school attacks were recorded in 2017, the number and severity of these attacks have been on the rise”, according to Human Rights Watch.

"School attacks and disruptions to schooling have reduced the quality of education provided and caused many students to fall behind academically," the organisation noted.

Terrorism has also caused the internal displacement of more than 1.4 million people and food insecurity for more than 2.8 million people, according to OCHA.

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