The Minister in charge of National Education, Joseph André Ouédraogo indicated on Friday that the reopening of the largest school in Burkina Faso, the Lycée Philippe Zinda Kaboré (LPZK), closed in May 2021 following a crisis that caused acts of vandalism within it, could take place at the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
"In view of the end of the work of the first phase scheduled for December 2023 and the start of the work of the second phase in January 2024, the reopening of the school could take place at the start of the 2024-2025 school year", declared the Minister of National Education, Literacy and Promotion of National Languages, Joseph André Ouédraogo .
According to him, the Lycée Philippe Zinda Kaboré (LPZK) was closed on a decision of the Council of Ministers on the basis of a detailed report from the regional directorate of post-primary and secondary education of the Center presenting a crisis situation within the establishment.
Mr. Ouédraogo reacted, Friday in Ouagadougou at the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT), to a question from MP Angèle Tiendreogo / Kalenzaga on the situation of the LPZK which saw its doors closed in May 2021.
According to him, the crisis was born on the one hand, from the rejection by students of the LPZK and other establishments in Ouagadougou of the reforms undertaken within the framework of the examinations for the Brevet d'études du premier cycle (BEPC) and of the Baccalaureate and on the other hand, the non-satisfaction of the grievances of the staff of the largest establishment in Burkina Faso.
According to the Minister, 3,789 pupils and 234 teaching and administrative staff have been affected by the closure of the LPZK. Among these students, 1885 students are officially registered on the various enrollment sites and 140 at the level of the provincial directorate of post-primary and secondary education in Kadiogo.
He said that 2,025 students have been reassigned to several establishments in the Center region and the other 1,764 remaining students are made up of students from examination classes ( 3rd Tle), excluded, dropouts and those who registered without going through the registration commission.
Joseph André Ouédraogo specified that the 197 teachers were affected according to their choices and that no complaint was registered.
Within the framework of the execution of the State budget, financial year 2023, Mr. Ouédraogo affirmed that his department benefited from a financial envelope of 4 billion FCFA for the first phase of the rehabilitation and equipment works of the LPZK which is going to be transformed into a modern classical high school.
For him, the rehabilitation and transformation of the LPZK into a scientific high school of excellence, including preparatory classes for the Grandes Ecoles, amount to approximately 21 billion FCFA.
In view of the conclusions of the report of the reflection committee on the reopening of the establishment, the minister said that it was recommended to readjust the architectural studies for the rehabilitation and transformation of the school.
He recalled that an architectural firm was recruited in February 2022 for the rehabilitation of the architectural plans.
By the way, this rehabilitation is estimated at a cost of 8 billion 898 million 547 thousand 259 FCF which provides for the execution of the works in two phases due to budgetary constraints.
Source: Burkina Information Agency