BUJUMBURA April 30th (ABP) – The Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research with the support of the Francophone Initiative for Distance Education of Teachers (IFADEM), organized on Wednesday April 26, 2023, a workshop of Co-construction of a device for strengthening the professional capacities of teachers, to improve the quality of learning in French, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
According to the assistant minister responsible for education, Mr. Hermenegilde Burikukiye, that co-construction workshop is part of a series of other activities aimed at developing the education system. It is an extension of the activities that the Institute of the Francophonie for Education and Training (IFEF) carries out in Burundi, in the sector of continuing education for teaching staff.
Indeed, in the education sector plan, building the capacities of teachers already in service continues to occupy an important place in the activities of the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research. Mr. Burikukiye specifies that the number of teachers is constantly increasing, hence the need for effective upgrading of teaching methods and mastery of the teaching of French. Furthermore, the educational needs of students remain dynamic and varied and require gradual adaptation.
In that perspective, the ministry has chosen to develop the approach to continuing education through the mechanisms of school networks which play a central role in the dissemination of good practice and the improvement of the professional capacities of teachers without becoming complex.
Mr. Burikukiye recalled that Burundi was one of the first countries to join IFADEM which was launched in 2006 and which is now present in 15 countries.
As for the coordinator of IFADEM, Mr. Papa Youga Dieng, La Francophonie continues to invest in the development and diversification of the educational offer to improve the quality of learning in the Member States of its area. He also underlined that the Francophone initiative for distance education of teachers (IFADEM) bears witness to this collective commitment through the excellent collaboration between the Francophonie University Agency (AUF), the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), the ministries in charge of education of the beneficiary countries and various technical financial partners, throughout the process of co-construction and implementation of the initiative.
The integration of digital technology has thus been accompanied by the consideration of emerging development themes, in particular by raising the awareness of teachers and heads of establishments on climate change, environmental protection, citizenship education, gender equality and administrative leadership.
The coordinator of IFADEM also pointed out that with this Co-construction workshop, is a great opportunity to analyze and capitalize on the results and achievements of previous phases of IFADEM in Burundi.