Kayanza : the school year begins under the strain of teacher shortages and unpaid salaries

SOS Médias Burundi

Kayanza, September 22, 2026— In Kayanza, located in the Butanyerera province of northern Burundi, the 2026-2027 school year is getting underway amidst a teacher shortage and salary-related difficulties. The district had requested 380 new teachers to bolster staffing levels in primary and secondary schools, but only 147 were assigned. Meanwhile, teachers recruited as far back as November 2025 state that they are still waiting for their salaries to be paid.

Shortfall of 233 new teachers

Although pupils returned to school on Monday, September 14, schools in the Kayanza district are grappling with a shortage of 233 new teachers, according to Jean Nzohabonayo, the district education director, who spoke with our news team.

Of the 380 new teachers requested to reinforce staff at the district’s primary and secondary schools, only 147 have been assigned.

This shortfall is forcing education officials to seek solutions to keep classes running and meet the schools’ needs.

Contract and volunteer teachers to the rescue

To prevent the teacher shortage from further disrupting school activities, education officials continue to rely on contract teachers and volunteers.

While this solution allows classes to continue, it also highlights the extent of the staffing shortage facing some schools right from the start of the new school year.

Teachers working without pay

Compounding this shortage is another issue : some teachers recruited in November 2025 claim they have still not received their salaries since being hired.

After months of working without pay, these teachers describe a personal situation that has become particularly difficult. Some claim they were forced to leave their homes because they could not pay the rent, while others say they went into debt just to afford food.

Beyond financial hardships, they also point to the social consequences of this precarious situation, including a loss of trust from landlords, mounting debt, and strained relationships with those around them.

Teachers demand their pay

The affected teachers are calling on the government to regularize their salaries and enable them to work in dignified conditions.

Behind the statistics regarding the start of the school year are the teachers responsible for educating pupils —yet they themselves report struggling to meet their own basic needs.

The situation in Kayanza is not an isolated case. Nationally, the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research had estimated a need for over 14,000 new teachers ahead of the 2026–2027 school year. However, the government announced the recruitment of only 5,000 teachers—a figure far below the stated requirements.

In Kayanza, the gap between the identified needs and actual postings illustrates, at a local level, the persistent challenges facing Burundi’s education system.