On Tuesday, April 13, a fire broke out in a Nigerian school in Niamey. About twenty children were killed. This event raises questions about the state of schools in West Africa. In Burkina Faso, Mali and Benin, teachers are concerned about student safety.
Schools in poor condition, François Yaméogo sees them every day. He teaches in Burkina Faso and is part of the general association of teachers.
“There are infrastructures being built here, which will not last for five months, because it is poorly done. As we move forward, the number of schools in precarious housing will increase. There are facilities that we build and that fall daily. ”
In Mali, Semoro Caranta has already witnessed a collapse. It happened at Diémas gymnasium while he was teaching mathematics. “A classroom collapsed on October 5, 2020. The students worked with the teachers in the adjoining room. When you look at the building, the first observation you make is that you can see that no safety standard has been met. ”
Zoumarou continues to condemn this uncertainty. This school principal in Perma, in northern Benin, regrets the passivity of the authorities. “Every year we make status. We provide information every year about the staff’s condition, about the premises, all this. And frankly, nothing changes. ”
According to him, the resources for education must be increased in order for the situation to improve.
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