The First Vice-President of the Senate urges the Governor to take action on the chalk shortage

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, October 2, 2025 – Since the start of the 2025-2026 school year, which opened on September 15, all basic schools in the district of Gitega, including the political capital, have been short of chalk. This is a surprising shortage, given that significant stocks are indeed stored in provincial depots. Parents and local officials are concerned about the direct impact on pupil learning.

The start of the school year in this part of the country is taking place under difficult conditions. In all basic schools in the district of Gitega, teachers and pupils have been working without chalk for several weeks. However, according to local sources, significant quantities of this school material are available in provincial depots but have not been distributed.

During a meeting held on Wednesday, October 1, with district officials, the First Vice-President of the Senate, Générose Ngendanganya, denounced this situation, which she deemed “incomprehensible.” She called on the provincial governor to take immediate measures to ensure that this chalk, “which has been stuck in warehouses for too long,” finally reaches schools. She even indicated that the governor should resign if he is unable to resolve this problem.

Parents concerned about academic delays

Parents, for their part, are expressing their dismay. They fear that their children will fall behind in their learning due to a lack of suitable teaching materials.

This chalk shortage comes at a time already marked by other deficiencies. Since the beginning of the school year, sixth-grade pupils across the country have still not received textbooks corresponding to the new curriculum. “In some classes, only one textbook is available to the teacher,” laments a parent.

Faced with these concerns, parents are calling on the government to ensure the rapid provision of textbooks and teaching materials in all basic schools, so as not to compromise children’s academic future.

For his part, the provincial education official declined to respond to requests from SOS Médias Burundi.

Across the small east African nation, in addition to the lack of teaching materials, overcrowding in schools is reported, making it very difficult for teachers to work and for children to learn.