Private
TOTAL
126
205
877
1246
1542
6
2268
1
1160
6
2561
6
2703
2
4829
7
18
7
40
5
142
0
230
9
1607
2714
Inclusive education
146. The Government continues to support five special needs schools for the students with sensory
disabilities:
- The deaf-mute EPHATA school of Kamenge in Bujumbura;
- Two schools for the blind of Mutwenzi and Gihanga respectively in the provinces of Gitega and
Bubanza;
- Two schools for the care of mentally disabled children in Akamuri in Bujumbura City and the
Medico-Pedagogical Institute of Mutwenzi in Gitega.
147. Of the children known to be living with disabilities, 1167 are enrolled in mainstream schools,
580 in special needs schools (of which 60 are visually impaired at KAMURI centre and 54 at
KANURA Centre, with hearing impairment 130 at Ephata and 178 at CESDA centre and finally
158 children with a physical disability at the KIZITO centre).
148. In its June 2011 Inclusive Education project, Handicap International conducted a study on the
situation of children with disabilities in the Provinces of Gitega and Bujumbura City. This study
counted 925 children living with disabilities, including 518 boys and 407 girls, 56% boys and 44%
girls in the communities; 712 were in school, including 415 boys and 297 girls, i.e. 58% boys and
42% girls.37
Girls’ education
149. In the field of girls' education, the Government of Burundi is making efforts to eliminate
discrimination related to traditional attitudes and the school environment.
150. With the abolition of school fees in September 2005, the gross enrolment ratio (GER) in the
2014-2015 school year increased to 133.4 per cent for girls and 135.4 per cent for boys. . The net
enrolment rate (NER) is 93.9% for girls and for boys it is 94.9% in the 2014-2015 school year. The
gender parity index at the national level in primary education increased to 1.05 in 2015.
151. Progress has been achieved through the following actions:
- Free primary school since 2005;
- Adoption of the Gender Equity in Education Strategy in 2012 accompanied by a regularly
monitored 2012-2020 action plan for the promotion of girls' education;
- Implementation of the 9-year basic school reform since the start of the school year in September
2013 in order to increase the service capacity in order to admit a large number of pupils;
- Implementation of the Child Friendly School model;
37
Handicap International / Burundi Programme
35