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signing ceremony

On July 27, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Grant Agreement (G/A) with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ouagadougou, to provide grant aid of up to 1,165 million yen for the Project for the Construction of Lower-Secondary Schools and Lower-Secondary Schools of Technical Education and Vocational Training in the Centre and Centre-Ouest Regions.

The objective of the project is to improve access to lower-secondary schools and the learning environment in the target areas. It will do so by constructing new lower-secondary schools in the Centre and Centre-Ouest Regions of Burkina Faso, which will have both general courses and technical training courses, and by providing the necessary equipment for such courses. It will contribute to SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Goal 4 (Quality education).

Burkina Faso aims to move away from its industrial structure that is heavily dependent on primary industries. One of the four pillars of its national development plan is therefore to strengthen human capital development, and basic education development is positioned as key to achieving this goal. With this in mind, the country’s Ministry of National Education, Literacy and Promotion of National Languages is promoting the Program of Basic Education Development Strategy. However, there remains a shortage of lower-secondary school facilities, and only 50.6% (2019) of students attend lower-secondary school. In addition, the large number of students per classroom results in overcrowded studying conditions.

Through this project, eight new lower-secondary schools (including three technical training lower-secondary schools) will be established, with the necessary equipment installed, in areas where the number of schools is small in comparison with the population. It will contribute to improved access to lower-secondary education as well as to an improved learning environment in the target areas. The project is also expected to contribute to the promotion of vocational training and the development of human resources, who will be responsible for the country’s future economic development. This project will contribute to the achievement of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Goal 4 (Quality education).

Details for the project are provided below.

[Basic project information]

Country	Burkina Faso
Project title	Project for the Construction of Lower-Secondary Schools and Lower-Secondary Schools of Technical Education and Vocational Training in the Centre and Centre-Ouest Regions
Planned implementation period	18 months
Executing agency	United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Target region, facilities	The Centre and Centre-Ouest Regions
Specific project details (provisional)	①Facility improvement/Equipment procurement [Facilities] Classrooms, administration buildings, male and female student restrooms, teacher restrooms, and training buildings, etc. at a total of eight lower-secondary schools and technical training lower-secondary schools [Equipment] Student desks and chairs, teacher desks and chairs, administration building desks and chairs, etc. ②Soft components Teacher training via the “Quality Child-Friendly Schools Program” being promoted by UNICEF, encouragement of community participation through school management committees (COGES), etc., and hygiene-awareness activities including prevention of COVID-19 infections, etc.