Access to education in rural areas: challenges and realities of Beninese children
Despite the facilities offered by the Beninese State for inclusive education, many children from rural areas remain excluded from the school system. The lack of adequate infrastructure, the shortage of qualified teachers, economic insecurity and local traditions further hinder access to education. An immersion in a difficult daily life, often ignored by the glances. Great disparities are observed between urban and rural areas and become worrying, due to the numerous awareness campaigns. While the school attendance index is relatively high in large cities such as Cotonou, Porto-Novo or Parakou, it falls drastically in rural departments such as Atacora, Borgou or even Collines. In some localities, children must walk between 5 and 10 kilometres to reach the nearest classroom, sometimes without shoes or breakfast. This simple logistical difficulty deters many, especially among the youngest. “My son dropped out of school after third grade. He had to walk more than an hour every day. He was too tired,” says Afi, a mother of four living in Agassa-Godomey and originally from Kérou in northern Benin.
Insufficient school infrastructure…
Rural schools, where they exist, lack equipment. The precariousness of school buildings discourages both students and teachers. In some villages, drinking water, latrines and electricity are almost non-existent, which greatly affects the quality of the school environment.
To this is added a teacher deficit despite the Government’s effort. Number of classes are overcrowded, sometimes with a single teacher to manage more than 80 students, all levels combined. “It is not uncommon for rural schools to remain without teachers for months, especially at the beginning of the school year,” says a teacher under anonymity.
Poverty, the first obstacle to schooling…
In rural areas, the majority of families live below the poverty line. For many parents, schooling their children is perceived as a luxury, especially if it involves additional costs, uniform, supplies, even though school is free, these indirect costs remain dissuasive.
Some children are forced to drop out of school to help their parents in the fields, sell products at markets or perform domestic tasks. Others, especially girls, leave the education system due to early pregnancies or are married very young. “At 13 years old, I stopped school to take care of my little brothers while my parents went to the fields,” says Rosine, now a housekeeper.
Local initiatives and NGOs to fill the gaps…
Faced with this worrying picture, local initiatives are emerging to improve the situation. Some communities have set up monitoring committees to encourage parents to send their children to school, while NGOs intervene in several departments for the construction of schools, teacher training and awareness-raising on child rights.
In addition, the national school canteen program, supported by the Beninese government and its technical partners, has also kept many students in school. Free meals distributed in rural primary schools are often the solid food of the day for these children.
Towards better governance of rural education?
The Beninese government, aware of the challenges, has launched several reforms in the education sector, including the massive recruitment of teachers, aspirants to the teaching profession (AME) and the modernization of certain school infrastructures. However, these measures struggle to cover the entire rural territory, where needs remain immense.
For education specialists, territorial equity must be at the heart of educational policies. It is not enough to increase school enrolment rates at the national level; targeted action must be taken in the most remote areas, taking into account the socio-cultural realities specific to each region.
Thus, access to education in rural areas of Benin remains a structural and human challenge. But the combined efforts of the State, local actors and international partners suggest a positive evolution. For the children of the countryside, school remains a beacon of hope towards a better life. It is still necessary that the means follow to transform this hope into a sustainable reality.