Literacy is increasing at an astounding rate in Burkina Faso. Only 13% of the adult population can read and write. The Paul Gérin-Lajoie Foundation, sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is providing aid to the teaching and administrative staff of Burkina schools to improve the effectiveness of the teaching material provided to pupils.

According to UNICEF, the schools’ registration rate for the 2003-2004 academic year stood at 52%. “Few children have access to primary schools and those fortunate few know that they are privileged. The schools are underfunded and do not have enough money to pay for teachers, books, etc. Thus, Burkina schools do not have sufficient space to accommodate all children”, says Dominique Choquette, Project Manager for the Paul Gérin-Lajoie Foundation overseas program.

The  NGO  sends teaching and administrative staff  from Quebec, either  active or retired, better known as Teachers Without Borders ( Éducateurs sans frontières), in the country  to assist Burkina teachers in their work.

“Every volunteer is twinned with a retired Burkina counterpart. They work together in a participating school to improve the overall running/operations of classes and the institution. We are not sending volunteers to take teaching jobs away from the Burkina, We’re sending people there to improve the teaching skills of the Burkina. It is a more durable intervention”, claims Mrs. Choquette.

More Effective Teaching Skills
Since Burkina Faso is experiencing a shortage of teachers, many people obtain teaching positions without having previous job experience. They quickly fall by the wayside due to their lack of teaching experience. Often, teaching French can be particularly difficult for Burkina teachers. French is the official language of the country, but the Burkina speak other local languages at home, such as Mooré.

''Teachers often find it difficult to transmit their knowledge, because they teach French as a primary language, whereas  it is a second language for the pupils. Many students do not understand a word of what is being said/taught in French. Hence, Burkinabe teachers are seeking advice from Teachers Without Borders. Together, they plan the weekly course agenda”, explains Mrs. Choquette.

Teachers Without Borders also play a role in regards to the teaching method. They do their utmost in facilitating the learning process by sometimes replacing lectures with more active participation from the pupils in their learning activities'' replies Dominique Choquette. Also, Teachers Without Borders often evaluate the running/operations of classes. “For instance, Burkina pupils experiencing learning difficulties often tend to find themselves at the back of the class. We'll suggest mixing the group and working in teams where pupils who do well are twinned with weaker students to facilitate learning.”

The Importance of Mobilizing the Population
 In Burkina Faso, the Paul Gérin-Lajoie Foundation program has modest funds at its disposal  -teachers without borders arrive in country with a limited quantity of educational material-. Since limited funds are used to provide a teacher with educational material, the projects' main selling point and strength lies in the unifying role it can play in the community.

“When a community finds out that a Canadian teacher will be spending three months in their school, it is mobilized. The population, especially parents of the schoolchildren, takes it upon itself to carry out long-term projects, such as rebuilding a wall or repairing the school roof. Together, they can also decide to raise the necessary funds so schoolchildren can eat during the school day. It is very important to empower the community in this fashion and involve people in it “believes Mrs.Choquette.

Carrying Out the Project
The invited teachers stay in the country for a three-month period, during which the focus is on the project. However, the collaboration continues thereafter. “Canadian volunteers go back home, but its retired Burkina counterpart keeps on carrying out the work started with the school. Thanks to the experience gained from working in close collaboration with the Canadian volunteer, the Burkina teacher has acquired plenty of experience and becomes a mentor in the school. This kind of attitude can favor/promote sustainable development”, explains Mrs. Choquette.

Further, a great number of Canadian educators stay in touch with the people with whom they worked. “Some communicate via e-mail, or exchange letters and photographs by snail/regular mail. Real bonds of friendship are sometimes created by the intense cultural experience gained between the participants in the project”, adds Mrs.Choquette.

The teachers without borders are always well-received in the Burkina schools, since participation in the project is always done on a voluntary basis. Canadian volunteers discuss with their Burkina counterparts about possible educational strategies and nothing is imposed. Currently, about fifteen teachers without borders are sent to the country every year, namely in the Koudougou and Ouahigouya regions. “The project started in 2004, says Mrs. Choquette .Since then, it has been publicized all over the country and an increasing number of schools are willing to receive volunteers.”

Article traduit par: Norman Rickert