Boulgou/ban: The Ban Basic Education District (CEB) wrapped up a two-week training session focused on bilingual and multilingual education at Boumbin Public Primary School. Twenty-one teachers, including 11 school principals and 10 assistant principals, participated in the session that concluded on Saturday.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the head of Ban CEB, Thodore Zougmor, praised the participants for their commitment and urged all education stakeholders to actively contribute to the reform's success. Zougmor highlighted that beneficiary schools could rely on available teaching resources while awaiting central-level measures to facilitate the reform's deployment. He emphasized the need for effective implementation of the training in schools and announced field visits in collaboration with educational supervisors to ensure monitoring, evaluation, and support for teachers.
The bilingual/multilingual educational approach aims to promote national languages and enhance students' learning assimilation. Zougmor called on parents and education partners to back the reform, acknowledging the necessity to bolster educational resources, particularly textbooks and guides for teachers.
Locr Bangr, the trainer, assessed the session as "very satisfactory," noting the participation and punctuality of the involved schools despite challenging circumstances. Bangr emphasized that the training content and evaluation results demonstrated successful appropriation. In line with the Ministry of National Education's guidelines, Bangr indicated that teachers handling CP1 classes are expected to implement bilingual/multilingual teaching from the 2026-2027 school year.
He highlighted the importance of commitment and dedication among educators and encouraged parents to appreciate national languages' role in early learning. Bangr explained that starting with a child's mother tongue facilitates the gradual acquisition of other languages.
Toubga Gousba, director of the traditional OuSda school, expressed enhanced understanding of transcription, reading, and writing techniques in Moor. He noted that using familiar languages increases student participation and motivation. However, Gousba lamented the lack of teaching documents and guides, pledging to apply the acquired knowledge and support his deputies.
Issouf Bossimborgo, a teacher from Natenga school, praised the training's accomplishments, specifically the learning of Moor month names, which reflect climatic and environmental realities. Bossimborgo highlighted the significance of promoting national languages in education.
The CEB of Ban plans to leverage these achievements to ensure the successful initiation of bilingual/multilingual education in CP1 classes during the 2026-2027 school year.