2017年-世界发展银行全球_Burundi_Education___Summary_of_the_Findings_of_the_Four_Analytical_Studies_31页_797kb

Summary of the Findings of the Four Analytical Studies on Burundi's Education Sector

Background and Objective

The World Bank is re-engaging in Burundi's education sector as the country implements a major reform to extend compulsory basic education to 9 years, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. This reform, however, faces challenges due to donor withdrawal and economic contraction, which may threaten recent gains in education. The Bank commissioned four analytical studies to assess the current state of progress, quality, community-based construction, and the feasibility of scaling up a results-based financing (RBF) approach. The findings aim to support the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MEESRS) in advancing the reform.

Core Content and Key Findings

1. Quality of Basic Education

• Strong performance in early grades: Burundi's PASEC 2014 results were the best among participating countries, especially in early primary education. Students in Year 2 scored 627.7 in language (Kirundi) and 605 in mathematics, significantly above the average of West African francophone countries.
• Equity in education: Burundi's education system shows greater equity in student performance compared to other PASEC countries, with smaller gaps between the best and worst performing students.
• Language of instruction impact: The transition to French in Year 5 affects performance in language, with scores dropping to the PASEC average. However, mathematics continues to perform well, possibly due to early strong foundations in Kirundi.
• School environment: Despite a relatively poor learning environment (high class sizes, low official schooling time, limited resources), Burundi's students still achieve good results, indicating the importance of other factors like teacher training and curriculum familiarity.

2. Initiatives in the PSDEF to Improve Quality

• The PSDEF proposed a new competence-based curriculum, teacher training (both in-service and pre-service), and the development of textbooks and pedagogical support.
• Curriculum development: The new curriculum for the École fondamentale was approved in 2015 and inspired by systems in Rwanda, Uganda, Mali, Singapore, France, Belgium, and Canada.
• Teacher training: In-service training for Cycle 4 teachers was conducted, but it was considered insufficient. Pre-service training for primary teachers (D6 qualification) is still based on the old model, with no re-design planned.
• Peer-to-peer training: A local teacher network approach (peer-to-peer training) has shown promise, with monthly sessions and minimal resource requirements. However, it requires further evaluation and monitoring.

3. Challenges in Expanding Basic Education

• Enrollment growth: Primary enrollment has increased rapidly, with a near doubling between 2005 and 2010. However, this has led to overcrowding and challenges in effective teaching.
• Repetition rates: These remain high and above the SSA average, though they have been declining over time. Repetition is traditionally seen as a sign of educational rigor in Burundi, but it increases costs and congestion.
• Dropout rates: These show a pattern of significant dropouts in the first year, peaking again in Year 5, likely due to the introduction of French in Year 5 and the difficulty of students in adapting to the new language and exam requirements.

4. Community Involvement in Construction

• Community-based construction: Communities have built a large number of classrooms, but the quality is inconsistent. Some use raw clay bricks, resulting in poor durability.
• Construction initiatives: Three main approaches exist: donor-funded, FONIC-funded, and community-led. Donor construction is of higher quality but more expensive. Community construction is cost-effective but requires improvement in quality.
• Options for improving community construction:
  • Option 1: Delegating authority to local communities ('collines') for classroom construction, with technical oversight.
  • Option 2: Integrating construction into the RBF approach, which could empower communities and align with the pilot project in Bubanza province.
  • Option 3: Reinstating the Common Pooled Fund for Education (FCE) and aligning it with FONIC resources to better support community construction.
• A National Strategy for School Construction is recommended to guide future efforts.

5. Reduction of Double-Shift Schools

• The PSDEF target to reduce the proportion of double-shift schools in the public sector to 41% was exceeded, with the actual rate reaching 34.6%.
• There are two types of double-shifts:
  • Double-shift linked to the teacher: A teacher teaches two different classes in two shifts (morning and afternoon), leading to overwork.
  • Double-shift linked to the room: Two different classes share the same room, often with one teacher per shift.
• While double-shifts have been reduced, class sizes remain high. A trade-off between reducing class sizes and double-shifts may be necessary depending on the cycle.

6. Improved Teacher Use and Deployment

• The PSDEF aimed to improve teacher allocation and reduce underutilization through policy measures.
• Teacher allocation variance: The target of 20% variance was not met, with actual variance reaching 25%.
• Redeployment: A national initiative started in 2010 has been continued at a provincial level, aiming to improve teacher deployment and address local needs.

Main Viewpoints

• Burundi's education system has notable strengths, particularly in early primary education, despite a relatively poor learning environment.
• The use of Kirundi as the language of instruction in the early grades is a key factor in the high performance of students.
• The quality of community-based construction is a concern, but it remains a cost-effective solution.
• The transition to French in Year 5 is likely a major contributor to the drop in language performance and increased dropout and repetition rates.
• The PSDEF has made progress in some areas but has not met all its targets, particularly in reducing repetition and improving teacher deployment.
• The RBF model has shown potential and could be expanded to support community-led initiatives.

Key Information

• PASEC 2014 results: Burundi's students scored above average in early primary education, especially in mathematics.
• Enrollment growth: From 264,900 to 492,600 in five years, with a net enrollment rate (NER) of 95% and a gross enrollment rate (GER) of 128%.
• Repetition rates: Remain high but are decreasing, with the goal of reducing repetition to 5% in the first year and 15% in the second year of each cycle.
• Construction progress: 6,504 classrooms were built by 2015, with donor-funded construction being of higher quality than community-based efforts.
• Teacher training: 15,369 Cycle 4 teachers were trained, but this was considered inadequate. Peer-to-peer training is a promising alternative.
• RBF feasibility: The pilot in Bubanza province has been successful, and scaling up could be supported through a results-based financing model.

Conclusion

Burundi's education system has achieved notable success in early primary education, driven by the use of Kirundi as the language of instruction, a well-established curriculum, and strong community engagement. However, the system faces significant challenges, including overcrowding, high repetition rates, and the transition to French in Year 5. The World Bank's re-engagement is critical to support the Ministry in addressing these challenges, particularly through improving the quality of community-based construction and scaling up the RBF model. A long-term, strategic approach is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the education reform.