Burkina Faso aims to increase the proportion of young people pursuing technical and vocational education to 60% by 2050, as part of efforts to align training with the country’s economic needs.
Secondary Education Minister Moumouni Zoungrana announced the target during a public meeting in Ouagadougou on Wednesday, alongside Basic Education Minister Jacques Sosthène Dingara.
The reforms include prioritising science education, establishing specialised secondary schools and retraining university graduates in practical fields such as agriculture, livestock, maintenance and communication. The government also plans to introduce English from the first year of primary school.
Authorities are developing a national register covering around 2,250 professions across 15 sectors to identify required skills and guide training programmes. Dingara also reported that the primary school leaving certificate pass rate rose from 60% in 2021-2022 to 95.23% in the most recent year cited.
The ministers called on parents, teachers and communities to support the reforms. During the meeting, citizens raised concerns about school fees, career guidance, private-sector involvement and school governance.
