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Introduction
Burundi is a small country located in Central Africa. In 1995, the population
of Burundi was estimated at 6.06 million and the gross national product
GNP per capita at $160. During the period 1985-95, the average annual
growth rates of the population and the GNP per capita were 2.5% and
–1.3%.
History
of Higher Education
At the beginning of the 1960s, higher education in Burundi was composed
of three institutions: the Institute of Agriculture of Ruanda-Urundi,
the institut facultaire of Usumbura (University institute of
Usumbura), and the Faculty of Science of Usumbura. In 1964, these three
institutions merged to create the official University of Bujumbura,
known as the Université officielle de Bujumbura (UOB).
Ecole Normale supérieure,
ENS, (Teacher's School) was created with the mission of training the
teachers of the junior secondary schools. In 1972, the national school
of administration known as Ecole nationale d’administration,
ENA, (National Advanced School for Administration) was established for
training civil servants.
Student
Enrolment
The enrollment growth in higher education in Burundi was slightly higher
than in sub-Saharan Africa. The operation of the university has been
significantly disturbed since 1993 by a socio-political crisis, in particular,
through student and staff strikes, delays in various academic programs,
closure of campuses, problems obtaining books and equipment, and a massive
brain drain of the academic staff. Since its inception, the University
of Burundi, (UB) has decided to focus on training the various categories
of personnel required by the civil service.
Distribution of enrollment by level and field of study
during the academic year 1992-93 |
| Area |
Years 1 & 2 |
Years 3 & 4 |
Postgrad. progs |
Total |
| |
No. of students |
% |
No. of students |
% |
No. of students |
% |
No. of students |
% |
|
Arts |
1,945 |
66.4 |
624 |
49.6 |
0 |
0 |
2,569 |
60.3 |
|
Science |
985 |
33.6 |
633 |
50.4 |
71 |
100 |
1,689 |
39.7 |
|
Total |
2,930 |
100 |
1,257 |
100 |
71 |
100 |
4,258 |
100 |
| Source:
University of Burundi, 1994. |
Faculty
Poor working conditions have contributed significantly to the brain
drain of academic staff. According to university regulations, the minimal
teaching load varies between 180-220 hours per annum, but no criteria
were set up for the evaluation of the pedagogical skills of the teachers,
in particular the quality of the syllabi and the teaching methods used.
Staff
growth during the period 1985-93 |
|
Academic Year |
Total Academic Staff |
Foreign Staff |
Proportion of foreign
staff (%) |
| 1985-86 |
315 |
173 |
54.9 |
| 1986-87 |
462 |
217 |
46.9 |
| 1987-88 |
474 |
175 |
36.9 |
| 1988-89 |
537 |
155 |
28.8 |
| 1989-90 |
516 |
123 |
23.8 |
| 1990-91 |
436 |
131 |
30.0 |
1991-92 |
501 |
140 |
27.9 |
| 1992-93 |
560 |
127 |
22.6 |
| Source:
University of Burundi, 1994. |
Research
and Publishing
The coordination of academic research was introduced at the university
in 1978 with the creation of a publication and research unit supervised
by the director of academic affairs. The position of director of research
was created in February, 1985 to coordinate and monitor the implementation
of the university's research policy.
Governance
and Administration
The rights and duties of the teachers at the UB are defined in the teaching
staff regulations adopted in 1990. In general, the university and the
government of Burundi ensure the conditions required for teachers to
fully enjoy academic freedom. In the past, the number of teachers who
did not respect their duties was quite limited. Since the beginning
of the socio-political crisis in 1993, however, an increasing number
of teachers have granted advantages to certain students on the basis
of their ethnic origin.
Funding
and Resources
In 1993, the government of Burundi allocated 25% of total public expenditure
on education to higher education, compared to 17% in sub-Saharan Africa.
The structure of the university's regular and general operational budgets
indicates significant imbalances, in particular with regard to the budgets
of human resources and scholarships.
Growth
rate of the university's general operational budget in % (1990-93) |
|
Components
of the Budget |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
Average
Annual
Growth Rate |
| |
30 |
19 |
22 |
13 |
-15.8 |
| |
29 |
36 |
30 |
35 |
18.9 |
| |
17 |
17 |
18 |
20 |
15.3 |
| |
24 |
27 |
29 |
32 |
20.3 |
| |
100 |
99 |
99 |
100 |
- |
| Source:
University of Burundi, 1994. |
Private
Institutions
Student enrollment in private higher education institutions represents
more than 10% of the total enrollment number today. The current trends
of development of higher education in Burundi indicate that the number
of private institutions is likely to increase tremendously in the near
future.
Note:
For detailed account on the state of higher education in Burundi, please
consult: Juma Shabani, African Higher Education: An International Reference Handbook (Damtew Teferra and Philip.
G. Altbach, eds., Indiana University Press, 2003), pp. 204-214.
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