Koudougou: On the sidelines of the launch of the BEPC, BEP, and CAP exams, 2025 session, in the city of the red rider, the minister in charge of secondary education, Dr. Boubacar Savadogo, met more than 500 students to explain to them the outlines of patriotic immersion, this program recently adopted by the Council of Ministers.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Central West Regional Council room welcomed high school seniors, soon to be joined by those who will soon be admitted to the exams, in an atmosphere combining solemnity and discussion. Accompanied by parents and school officials, the young participants came to learn about this measure, which is now mandatory for all new students.
Adopted on May 2, 2025, patriotic immersion is distinct from military training. It consists of a month of civic, social, and moral training, provided by qualified instructors in educational institutions.
Minister Savadogo was keen to dispel any confusion. “This is not about training soldiers, but peacebuilders, citizens committed to the nation,” he said. These comments were supported by Dr. Ouaba, Technical Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Quality Education (IPEQ), who insisted that “this is neither a punishment nor a test. It is a school of life, an honor, a republican milestone.”
The program for this immersion is rich and varied, covering essential modules such as republican values, geopolitics, eco-citizenship, entrepreneurship, national history, and living together. Preliminary assessments are planned to adapt the content to the participants’ profiles.
The students showed keen interest, asking pertinent questions about practical issues such as housing, cell phone use, and gender equality. The clear and direct answers reassured the audience, as did Pauline Yam©ogo, a senior in her final year of secondary school at the Lyc©e de l’Amiti©. “Now I’m no longer afraid; I’m better informed,” she exclaimed.
The Regional Director of Secondary Education for the Centre-West, Bienzi Didier Par©, also welcomed this presidential initiative, encouraging students to fully support it.
Minister Savadogo concluded the conference with a strong message: “Every people pays the price for their future. This is our path: dignity, work, love for Faso.”
This meeting in Koudougou marks a key step in the mobilization around patriotic immersion, positioning it not as a mere formality, but as a founding act to forge a generation of responsible citizens, united and proud of their Burkinabe identity.