Burundi’s Education System Under Fire: Senate Speaker Criticizes Overloaded Curriculum

In a pointed critique delivered during a leadership training workshop in the political capital Gitega early on Thursday, SenateSpeaker Emmanuel Sinzohagera, labeled the country’s education system as overwhelming for students, highlighting what he termed an excessively broad curriculum that leaves students ill-prepared for the real world.

“In Burundi, it is the only place where a child has up to 30 subjects, whereas in other countries, they have about six subjects they must focus on and master,” he said.

For him, students end up knowing nothing, even though they are said to be educated.  “In Burundi, everything is packed into students, and they end up being like an empty bucket,” he also said.

The Senate Speaker’s remarks come amid growing discontent among students over what they see as overcrowded and inefficient curricula. University students expressed the same concerns, urging the government to streamline educational content to focus on relevant and practical knowledge.

Esther Igiraneza, a 21-year-old student of Clinical and Social Psychology at Great Lakes University, described the burden of “mixed courses” that prevent students from thoroughly mastering their specialized fields.

Pierre Irakoze, a student at the University of Burundi, questioned the necessity of courses like Kirundi in the Department of English Language and Literature. “In our department, Kirundi is an unnecessary course because our focus should exclusively be English,” he said.

Claudine, a student at Bujumbura International University, called for targeted reforms: “Courses that are not related to the faculty a student is pursuing should be removed.”

This critique aligns with President Evariste Ndayishimiye’s recent call for a profound overhaul of the education sector. Speaking at a meeting with government officials on September 27, President Ndayishimiye emphasized the urgent need for reform, lamenting the lack of competence among many graduates. “Today, the education sector is failing. We have graduates who are practically incapable. It is imperative to revolutionize the education system,” the President said.