Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ouadougou (Fides Service)- Catholics schools in the diocese of Ouahigouya in Burkina Faso are an important reality offering education to over 1,000 pupils. Diocesan education officer Rev. Wenceslas Zoungrana said the diocese has 6 Catholic primary schools with 900 pupils and five state secondary schools.
“We have excellent Catholic teachers who take their vocation as educators of our children very seriously” said Rev. Zoungrana. “Catholic schools are recognised by the state thanks to the quality of Catholic education and dialogue between the Catholic Church and the government in Burkina Faso”.
The work of the diocesan committee for education led by Rev. Zoungrana is both administrative and pedagogical: co-odination of Catholic education at the diocesan level, and at the level of each school, working with school management committees, discussing annual budgets, helping to pay teaches salaries when necessary, providing ongoing formation for teachers with retreats and courses in pedagogy. In his work Rev. Zoungrana is assisted by pedagogical adviser and an accountant.
The Catholic schools were opened by missionaries but now these schools are the responsibility of the local Church. “This creates a problem” said Rev. Zoungrana. “Most people fear without the missionaries the schools will not function properly. They see the school as a mission school, but the new philosophy of Catholic education is a school which belongs to and serves the whole community”.
However this does not mean that missionaries are excluded. “Next year Brothers of Christian Schools will work at Saint Teresa Primary School in Kangoussi, where the Brothers intend to open a Catholic secondary school, and also next year in we will open a new Catholic primary school in Titao with the help of a community of Dominican Sisters”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 18/10/2005 righe 34 parole 369)
