KS-Relief-UNICEF partnership : Thousands of students benefit from Radio Education Programme in Burkina Faso
OUAGADOUGOU, 19 November 2020 — UNICEF Burkina Faso provided 125,000 children in Centre-Nord region with the Radio Education Programme, with support from partners including the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSR). This programme aims to ensure students’ continuity of learning during school closure due to the insecurity and COVID-19, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4.
With the insecurity and the COVID-19 crisis, thousands of children were out of school and exposed to the risk of dropping out altogether. To ensure the continuity of learning for children affected by the crises, the Radio Education Programme was launched by the Ministry of National Education, Literacy and the Promotion of National Languages and UNICEF.
The Radio Education Programme offers nine-month long courses on basic writing, reading and mathematics skills, in addition to spot messages on key child protection, hygiene and sanitation issues. The programme targets children aged 10 to 17 years old who attended school for at least four years and have basic literacy and numeracy skills. It started in April 2020 and, after six months, it has reached 125,000 children (75,000 girls).
Cynthia, a displaced student, benefitted from the programme. Having fled with her family their home village due to insecurity, Cynthia was enrolled in a public school as soon as they arrived in the city of Kaya. However, shortly after, on 16 March, the government decided to close all 20,000 schools in the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The school closure had an impact on over 5 million children and 120,000 teachers. While schools were closed, Cynthia attended a radio education listening club. “The radio education helped me understand better geography, science and mathematics lessons,” she said.
“Every girl and boy in Burkina Faso have the right to education. When schools are closed, the Radio Education Programme provides children with a protective routine to keep learning until they are able to go back to school,” said Sandra Lattouf, UNICEF Representative in Burkina Faso. “UNICEF and education partners are doing their upmost to ensure inclusive and equitable basic education for girls and boys in Burkina Faso.”
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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
To learn more about UNICEF and its work, please visit our website :
https://medium.com/@unicefburkina
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For more information, contact :
Dabla Touré, Education in Emergencies Specialist: dtoure@unicef.org Tel:+226 57 82 52 90
