ALE Country Profile
Burkina Faso
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Adult Learning and Education (ALE) is known as “non-formal education.” The National policy on non-formal education (NFE) is led by the Ministry of Basic Education, Literacy and the Promotion of National Languages (MEBAPLN) and implemented by the General Directorate of Non-Formal Education (DGENF), while the Permanent Secretariat for the Promotion of National Languages (SP-PLN) develops and promotes national languages.
The Ministries of Sports, Youth and Employment, and of Secondary Education and Vocational Training provide vocational training for young people and adults.
The Education and Training Sector Plan (PSEF) 2017–2030 is the main document guiding education and vocational training in Burkina Faso. It is complemented by the National Strategy for the Development of Non-Formal Education (SNDENF) 2021–2025, which highlights ALE.
This strategy is being operationalised through national frameworks that view NFE as a coherent and organised set of teaching-learning modalities integrated into the PSEF vision:
... a democratic, efficient, inclusive and outward-looking education system that develops the skills and expertise necessary and sufficient for the socio-economic development of Burkina Faso.
The SNDENF seeks to build rule-of-law societies in which all social groups, aware of their responsibilities, cooperate to strengthen community balance and sustainable development. Its vision is:
By 2025, populations benefit from quality non-formal education provision that meets the demands of the economy and enables the expression of citizenship.
In addition to this document, there is the Common core of competencies, which provides clear guidance on the content to be taught, and Decree 2009-644/PRES/MEBA/MAHRH/MASSN/MESSRS/MATD/MJE organising non-formal education.
To promote ALE, the government implements various projects and programmes. Here are some of the main ones:
- the vocational training programme, which reaches 5,000 young people and is financed by Swiss cooperation;
- the Accelerated Learning Project for Out-of-School Children and Adolescents in Burkina Faso (PAAENS), financed by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, and
- the Project to Strengthen Education System Performance and Improve Resilience (REPAIR).
Training materials such as literacy/basic education manuals and various guides (e.g. reading, numeracy and facilitator guides, etc.) are disseminated at all learning levels. These are complemented by the above mentioned CEBNF manuals and guides (e.g. reading, numeracy, life and earth sciences, first through fourth year), vocational training modules by specialisation, reading, numeracy and facilitator guides for the SSAP.
Civil Society
Many civil society actors are also active in the field of ALE. Some of the main stakeholders include:
- Pamoja West Africa (composed of 14 member countries including Burkina Faso), which is coordinator of the NFE component of the West Africa Education Quality Support Program (PRAQUE-AO);
- the Fund for Literacy and Non-Formal Education (FONAENF), the main private operator of the Burkinabè state in the field of non-formal education;
- the Association for the Promotion of Non-Formal Education (APENF), and
- other NGOs such as the Tin Tua Association and the pastoralists’ association “Andal & Pinal".
United Nations organisations such as UNICEF and UNESCO, as well as international NGOs and bilateral cooperation agencies including Swiss Cooperation, Luxembourg Cooperation (LuxDev), Canadian Cooperation, the Strømme Foundation, and the Karanta Foundation, contribute to the implementation of government policy.
Despite the best efforts of ALE actors, the population still has a generally negative perception of non-formal education. This perception is undoubtedly linked to challenging working conditions within the non-formal sector, even though the 3% funding target for ALE has been exceeded (4.95% of the education budget – Pamoja Education study report on financing models for ALE in West Africa). It is often described as a second-chance school, and it remains useful and effective as such. However, it is necessary to enhance the image of non-formal education.
The security and humanitarian context has drastically reduced both the areas of intervention of non-formal education and its financial resources. It should also be noted that the delegated management strategy (“faire-faire”) has challenges in responding to the needs of the sector (Non-Formal Education Dashboard – 2023 Campaign – Burkina Faso).
The country’s current context makes non-formal education a particularly important sector. Perspectives for the future include:
- the implementation of the triptych (Literacy, vocational training and socio-economic integration), linking knowledge with individuals’ opportunities to earn a living through mobilized skills;
- given the high number of out-of-school children and adolescents (more than 42% of children aged 6–16 and 42.2% of children aged 6–11 were out of school in 2021, according to EADE 2021 – Out-of-School Children and Adolescents), special emphasis must be placed on the promotion and development of vocational training.
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