Rights groups in Burundi have threatened to sue Busiga High School after the expulsion of seven
female students accused of picking avocados from school grounds and attempting to bribe a
gatekeeper. The school, a Catholic institution in Ngozi northern province, has faced intense
criticism since the expulsions in September, with advocates calling the decision unjust and
unlawful.
David Ninganza, head of the children’s rights organization SOJEPAE, has condemned the
expulsions as “excessive” and “ineffective”, urging the administration to reverse its decision or
face legal action. “If the students miss an entire academic year, we will hold the school
accountable and seek justice through the courts,” Ninganza told Breaking Burundi.
The Federation for the Defense of Children’s Rights in Burundi (FENADEB) has also demanded
intervention from the Ministry of National Education, urging the school to reinstate the students
and calling for better training for school administrators on student rights and disciplinary
measures. “School regulations are meant to promote education, not undermine it,” FENADEB
said in a statement earlier on Friday.
The decision has sparked public outcry, with former Foreign Minister Alain Aimé Nyamitwe
condemning the expulsion on social media. “Expelling students for picking avocados is
disproportionate. This decision must be reconsidered for the sake of the children’s future,”
Nyamitwe wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Pierre Nkurikiye, spokesperson for the Ministry of Security and a legal scholar, echoed these
concerns, arguing that the expulsions violated school regulations. “The students did not comply
with the rules, but the board misapplied the disciplinary provisions,” Nkurikiye said, according
to Jimbere Magazine.
ACOPA-Burundi, a local human rights group, called the decision discriminatory and dangerous,
emphasizing the risk of exposing the girls to gender-based violence. “Depriving seven young
girls of education for a full year over minor misconduct endangers their futures and subjects
them to potential harm,” ACOPA said in a letter to the school principal.
While rights organizations have demanded the reversal of the expulsions, Parfait Nkunzimana, a
municipal director, defended the school, citing disputes over the interpretation of regulations.
The controversy has reignited debates over students’ rights and the role of disciplinary measures
in Burundi’s education system, with growing calls for systemic reforms to protect access to
education.
1 Comment