Burkina Faso authorities mandate bilingual education using local languages
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The government of Burkina Faso is implementing a nationwide policy to prioritize local languages in primary schools. This shift moves French to a secondary role during the early years of schooling to ensure children learn in their primary community languages.
The government divided the country into linguistic zones based on major languages such as Mooré, Dioula, Fulfuldé, Gulmacema, Lyelé, Dagara, Bissa, and Nouni.
Students in the first year of primary school will now receive 90% of their lessons in the majority language of their specific locality. Over time, the proportion of local language instruction will decrease as French instruction increases, reaching a 90% French instruction rate by the fifth year of primary school. Teachers and parents expressed mixed reactions to the rapid transition.
Some teachers reported that while they speak these languages daily, they lack the pedagogical skills to use them as formal teaching tools. In regions like Fada N’Gourma, some teachers assigned to the area do not speak the local Gulmacema language. Parents say they are adjusting to the change by planning to provide French instruction for their children at home.
