School, cycle, and section closures : the Ministry of National Education tightens the screws

SOS Médias Burundi

With the start of the school year scheduled for next September, the Ministry of National Education is closing several schools, cycles, and sections in three provinces for non-compliance with standards. Hundreds of pupils are left without a solution, sparking anger and incomprehension among parents.

This is an unprecedented sweep of the Burundian education system. The Minister of National Education and Scientific Research, François Havyarimana, announced on Thursday the immediate closure of several schools, cycles, and sections in the provinces of Bujumbura, Gitega, and Burunga. These provinces are located in the west, south, and center of the country, with Gitega and Bujumbura respectively containing the political and commercial capitals of Burundi. The cause : non-compliance with current standards and regulations.

Dozens of pupils directly affected

In Bujumbura, seven schools are in the crosshairs. Two nursery schools located in Mukaza and Ntahangwa (a commercial city), as well as two sections operating in these same entities, are prohibited from operating as of the 2025-2026 school year.

The official statement cited several serious violations :

a clear deterioration in working conditions;

lack of adequate infrastructure;

non-functional or poorly maintained latrines;

changes of location without the ministry’s knowledge;

operation without official approval.

In Gitega and Burunga, similar closures affected both primary schools and specialized sections. The ministry asserted that these decisions were taken “to protect the quality of teaching and ensure an educational environment that meets national standards.”

The minister intends to strike hard

This announcement came just two days after François Havyarimana’s reappointment as head of the ministry. “Parents and pupils are being notified in time to avoid falling into the trap of enrolling their children in schools that are now closed,” he warned in the press release, urging local education authorities “to scrupulously ensure the implementation of this decision until further notice.”

On the ground, anger and dismay

The measure, hailed by some as a necessary overhaul, also provokes considerable incomprehension.

“We were assured that the school was recognized by the state. My son spent three years there. Today, we are told that his certificates are worthless,” laments a mother from Ntahangwa.

A teacher at a closed school describes it as “a hard blow for the pupils, but also for the staff.”

“We haven’t received a single inspection visit for two years. And suddenly, we’re closed. It’s incomprehensible,” he says, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Disturbing questions

How were these schools able to operate for years without official approval? Why didn’t the authorities react sooner? And what fate awaits the pupils who studied in these institutions, sometimes to the point of obtaining diplomas that are now devoid of legal value?

So far, no clear answers have been provided. The ministry has not yet announced a reorientation or remedial plan for the affected pupils.

A flaw in the regulation of the education system

These closures highlight a deeper problem : the lack of regular monitoring and oversight of schools in Burundi. Already vulnerable families could be the big losers in this administrative standoff.

While awaiting clarification, parents, pupils, and teachers hope that this firm stance will not result in hundreds of pupils simply abandoning the program just weeks before the start of the school year.