CANKUZO, March 12th (ABP) – Parents from Mwiruzi village, Mishiha Commune in Cankuzo Province, lament that most children are fleeing to Tanzania instead of pursuing their studies, despite awareness-raising efforts by administrative officials and parental advice urging them to love school. These school dropouts are allegedly going to Tanzania to seek money.
The dropout phenomenon is also evident in Gisagara Commune, where the number of students has been decreasing over the years, as revealed by some school principals.
For example, the principal of Rata 2 Primary School, in Bumba village, revealed during the meeting the governor held for the population of from that village that out of 500 students entering grade 1, there will be about thirty in grade 6 and one or ten students in grade 9. At a meeting in Ujirani Mwema on February 22, 2025, which brought together the Governor of Cankuzo Province, Mr. Boniface Banyiyezako, and the Chief of Kakonko District, in Kibondo Province, Republic of Tanzania, the two parties agreed to bring these children aged under 18 back to Burundi to continue their studies.