Government Ensures Successful 2024-2025 School Year

The government has taken all necessary measures to ensure a successful school year, according to Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji, spokesman for the executive.

The government spokesperson highlighted the efforts made by the government, teaching profession, and students’ parents to achieve successful school years. “Intensive efforts have been made by the government, by the teaching profession but also by students’ parents to allow us to have school years that go very well,” he noted.

Social Dialogue and Investment in Infrastructure

Regarding the 2024-2025 school year, the government has taken practical arrangements, including a consultation session with social partners. “We took stock of the preparations (…) to ensure that the machine is well oiled, that everything is in place, and if there are still optimization points to be considered, do so within the next few days apart from September 16.”

The government has invested in strengthening infrastructure to accommodate students in the best conditions. “Logistically, we ensured that classrooms were available. There has been an extensive program of building classrooms in recent years: around 6,000 in the primary, 2,000 in the secondary so that needs are gradually absorbed.”

Recruiting New Teachers

The government has planned to recruit new teachers to meet the assessed need. “We took stock just before the end of the government ceasefire and decided to open the database again to recruit AMEs (Aspirants for the teaching profession), 476 memories, because this is what the inventory revealed as needed for the coming school year.”

Additionally, the government has planned measures to benefit AME teachers. From the start of the 2024-2025 school year, AME children are exempt from school contribution fees. “I can assure you that in accordance with this, no AME child will have to pay school contributions.”

Progressive Repayment for AMEs

Regarding the transfer of AME to the body of contractual agents of the State, the government spokesman explained that the application can only be progressive due to budgetary constraints and in the interest of maintaining social cohesion. “It is a commitment from the government and we have taken the time to explain it to our AME friends so that they know that diligent work is being done for this purpose (…). If, the next day, we had acted by demolishing everyone (more than 30,000 at once), you will see what that represents on the national budget and especially on the payroll.”

The government spokesman emphasized that the question of reimbursement will be dealt with gradually. “Responsibly, it is up to us to see how we implement it as at the same time as we solve the problems of AMEs that we do not create other bodies and that we do not create any in the country in general. So this will be subject to programming.”