Burkina Faso education is mainly influenced by the education system of France, their colonizer. Burkina Faso’s education system, though, has incorporated certain changes but the basic structure of education followed by the French model remains the same. The syllabus, the textbooks, and exam schedules at different levels are all centrally determined by the Ministry of Basic Education and the Ministry of Higher education and Scientific Research. Education in Burkina Faso can be structured into
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Primary Education
Primary school education begins at the age of seven when the students are enrolled in class one. The students continue in the primary schools for six years and then passing the final exam register themselves in the secondary schools. Only a handful of primary school students enroll themselves in secondary schools.
Secondary Education
Secondary Education is again categorized into a four-year study program at the junior high school level and a three-year general study program culminating in the baccalaureate exam at the senior secondary level.
Higher Education
Higher education signifies university education in three established institutions in the country. They are
- University of Ouagadougou
- Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso
- Teachers Training College of Koudougou
The adult literacy levels are very low in the country. The literacy rates among adult women are almost half that of adult males in the country.