Education – Burundi : 5,000 teachers and thousands of desks to try to turn around a struggling school system

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, July 18, 2026 — The Burundian government is presenting an ambitious plan for the education sector, with the recruitment of nearly 5,000 teachers, billions of Burundian francs invested in the “Zero Poorly Seated Children” program, and thousands of desks announced. However, behind these announcements, the Minister of National Education and Scientific Research, François Havyarimana, himself acknowledged several shortcomings, including the manufacture of desks that do not meet standards, reluctance to implement merit-based recruitment procedures, and delays in replacing some teachers. These observations highlight the persistent challenges facing the Burundian education system.

At a press conference held Friday in Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital and home to the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research, François Havyarimana presented the results for the 2025-2026 school year and the main priorities planned for the 2026-2027 school year.

More than 18 billion Burundian francs allocated to the “Zero Poorly Seated Children” program

The minister indicated that the government had released 18 billion Burundian francs to all districts across the country to finance the production of desks and benches for schools facing a shortage of school furniture.

According to the figures presented, 25,499 desks and benches were manufactured using the national budget, 31,233 from district budgets, and 16,369 with the support of technical and financial partners.

The minister stated that more than 44,000 desks and benches had already been made available to schools to improve learning conditions for thousands of pupils.

Non-compliant desks and benches in some districts

Despite these announcements, François Havyarimana acknowledged that irregularities had been observed in some districts. Some manufactured desks and benches reportedly did not meet the technical specifications established by the ministry.

The manufacturers in question were ordered to correct the identified defects to guarantee the quality and durability of the equipment intended for pupils.

Investments announced for higher education

The minister also announced several university infrastructure projects aimed at improving learning conditions in higher education.

This includes the construction of new lecturerooms at the University of Burundi, the rehabilitation of the Kiriri campus in Bujumbura, the renovation of student residences and restaurants, and the construction of new university buildings in Musenyi, in the province of Butanyerera, in the north of the country, and in Makamba, in the province of Burunga, in the south.

According to François Havyarimana, these investments should contribute to improving the learning and living conditions of Burundian students.

Nearly 5,000 new teachers expected

To address the teacher shortage observed in several schools, the government plans to recruit approximately 5,000 new teachers during the 2026-2027 school year.

François Havyarimana emphasized the need to guarantee transparency and prioritize merit in the recruitment process.

He specified that 1,964 teachers had already been recruited through competitive examinations and that replacements for teachers who had left the service were made based on the candidates’ performance.

The minister noted that, in the past, fewer than 700 teachers were recruited each year. According to him, the increase in the number of recruitments reflects the government’s commitment to gradually reducing the teacher shortage.

Merit at the heart of recruitment, but challenges persist

François Havyarimana believes that recruitment based on competitive examination results ensures greater fairness among candidates and reduces the disputes observed during previous recruitment campaigns.

However, he regretted that some local education directors had expressed reluctance to implement this merit-based procedure.

The minister also explained that several teachers appointed to administrative positions as part of the decentralization of public services had not been replaced in a timely manner, as some receiving ministries had not officially submitted their transfer requests.

According to him, corrective measures have already been taken to prevent these situations from recurring.

Despite the announced investments and planned recruitment, significant challenges remain for Burundian schools. In many institutions, the lack of teachers, school furniture, and adequate infrastructure continues to negatively impact learning conditions. The effective implementation of the announced measures will therefore be crucial for sustainably improving the quality of education in this small East African nation.