Rutana : poverty deprives more than 3,200 children of their right to education

SOS Médias Burundi

Rutana, June 4, 2026 – More than 3,200 pupils dropped out of school during the second term of the current academic year in Rutana district, in Burunga province (southern Burundi), according to a report from the district education directorate. Poverty, which affects many households, is cited as the main cause of this mass school dropout.

The report indicates 3,260 school dropouts, including 1,396 girls and 1,864 boys. Primary schools and technical training institutions are among the most affected by this phenomenon.

According to the data collected, many children are forced to drop out of school due to a lack of school supplies, food, or sufficient financial resources to cover the various fees associated with their education.

Faced with this situation, educational and administrative officials are concerned about the long-term consequences for the future of the children involved and for the development of the community. They are calling on parents to raise their children’s awareness of the importance of education and to encourage them to continue their schooling despite economic hardship.

School authorities believe that collective action is necessary to combat this phenomenon and improve the living conditions of vulnerable households, in order to guarantee every child’s fundamental right to education.

The situation observed in Rutana is far from an isolated case. From north to south and east to west of Burundi, administrative officials, teachers, and community leaders are making the same alarming observation : growing poverty is forcing an increasing number of children to abandon their schooling.

In several parts of the country, families already struggling due to soaring prices of basic necessities are finding it difficult to cope with education-related expenses. Lacking school supplies, sufficient meals, or the means to pay the various fees required by schools, many pupils are dropping out of school prematurely.

This reality deeply worries those involved in the education sector, who see it as a serious threat to the future of an entire generation. According to them, without an urgent and effective response to support the most vulnerable households, the phenomenon of school dropouts risks worsening, jeopardizing the efforts made over the past several years to improve access to education and reduce social inequalities.

Adding to this educational crisis is another worrying phenomenon : the departure of out-of-school youth to neighboring countries in the sub-region, in search of better living conditions and future prospects. An often perilous exodus, which exposes these young people to multiple risks and testifies to the extent of the despair that is taking hold of certain segments of Burundian youth.