Ouagadougou: The two-month vacation period from August 1 to September 30, 2024, was strategically utilized to address academic delays in higher education and research institutions (IESR) in Burkina Faso, successfully normalizing 61 courses, which accounts for 38.36% of the courses affected, as announced by the Minister of Higher Education, Pr Adjima Thiombiano.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the minister shared these developments during a press conference held in Ouagadougou on Tuesday, highlighting the reduction of academic delays within the IESR. As of September 30, 2024, 261 sectors, or 81.30%, have been standardized out of a total of 321 sectors. However, 60 sectors, representing 18.70%, remain behind schedule.
The minister expressed optimism as all courses commenced their academic year on October 1, a move he believes will eventually eliminate delays and overlapping academic years. He attributed these results to the dedication of all academic stakeholders who have made significant sacrifices.
Prof. Thiombiano emphasized the importance of implementing strategies to achieve these results, which included continuing academic activities during the vacation months, establishing reliable statistics systems, and engaging in consultations with stakeholders.
Additional measures such as rehabilitating educational infrastructure, equipping laboratories, providing laptops to department heads, settling social debts, enhancing internet connectivity in IESR, and continuing social works for students also contributed to the progress.
He stressed that resolving academic delays requires a structural approach and praised the Presidential Initiative for Education, which he believes will address the issue of infrastructure shortages definitively.