SUMMARY REPORT OF THE PLENARY SESSION OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2024

In the year two thousand and twenty-four, on the twenty-fourth day of September, the senators met in the Senate hemicycle, in Gitega province, for the 207^th plenary session of the sixth legislature relating to an oral question with debate addressed to the Minister of National Education and Scientific Research.

The session was chaired by the Right Honorable Emmanuel SINZOHAGERA, Speaker of the Senate. This session began, as usual, with a prayer at 9:45 a.m., and was attended by 26 senators and a Government Representative, namely the Minister of National Education and Scientific Research, Dr. François HAVYARIMANA.

After welcoming the august assembly, the President of the session invited the Government Representative to answer to the oral question that the standing committee responsible for social issues, youth and culture had sent him. Subsequently, the floor was given to the honorable senators to express themselves under the general debate and ask questions for clarification.

To the question to know why the FATED graduates have neither the right to continue their studies in the Higher Professional Institutes nor the access to jobs while their diplomas are recognized by the Ministry, the Minister replied that among the FATED graduates, there are those who respected the laws and others who cheated in their studies by taking advantage of the war that reigned in the country and it is the latter who are unfortunately victims.

To the question about the efforts made by the Government to improve catering in boarding schools, the Government Representative indicated that the State of Burundi did everything to improve the food ration of boarding school students. The daily ration per student has just increased from 1400 Burundian francs to 2000 Burundian francs with this current school year. He added.

Concerning the question to know whether the WFP intervenes in the catering of boarding school students, the Minister indicated that the latter currently intervenes only in the school canteen of primary schools. He also indicated that the Government of Burundi undertook to seek partners who may be interested in this issue. In addition, the Government of China stepped forward to participate in this activity by providing aid of more than five hundred tons of rice.

To the wishes of senators that school canteens could be established in all Schools through the country, the Minister responded that the process is underway.

To the question to know what the Government is doing to improve the living conditions of students, such as catering, housing and transport at the University of Burundi, Dr. François HAVYARIMANA said that the State of Burundi must treat students in the same way. For him, graduates of the University of Burundi, ENS and INSP, must be considered in the same way, which a lot of people do not know. If we refer to the University of Burundi, housing exists but it is for enrollments not exceeding 3000 places while in it alone, the enrollment is 15000 students.

For the Government Representative, the State budget allocated to the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research is largely very low to meet the needs of students for catering, housing and transport. The initiative for the Government is to encourage the Private sector to build university homes so that these students can eat and stay around the campuses. This approach of encouraging the private sector to invest in this area and this State intervention will surely help improve the living conditions of students, he said.

Regarding the complaints of teachers redeployed to return to their old schools, the senators wanted to know what the Government plans to do to resolve this problem. The Government Representative indicated that the issue is in the hands of the Government and that measures will be taken soon to resolve it.

To the question to know the progress of the negotiations between the Government of Burundi and the Jesuit Society so that the KIRIRI Campus becomes a public University under the Jesuit agreement, the Minister said that the draft of this agreement is already there and that he will soon meet with the representatives of this congregation so that this issue can finally be studied in the Ministers’ Council.

Regarding the promotion of Batwa children in education, the senators asked whether the Government has the initiative to encourage this population category by awarding scholarships to Batwa children who received a satisfactory grade in the secondary school leaving examination. The Government Representative responded positively to this question while specifying that it is an instruction given by His Excellency the President of the Republic. He further specified that he informed the minister in charge of Solidarity to always follow this issue of Batwa children whenever there is a job opportunity. The session, which took place in a climate of perfect understanding, was closed at 3:50 p.m. with a prayer.