Teacher training in Burkina Faso: building resilience against insecurity
Amid the growing insecurity caused by the attacks of Islamist armed groups on schools, the SNESS (National Union of Secondary and Higher Education Teachers) has launched a capacity building initiative for women teachers in Burkina Faso. The union recently held a training session on education in emergency situations in order to increase the resilience of women teachers, students, and education communities as a whole.
A trade union response to the security crisis
Souleymane Campaoré, National General Secretary of SNESS, emphasised the importance of this workshop:
“In 2023, we provided initial training for 100 SNESS teachers from all regions of Burkina Faso, and this year, for the second edition, 70 teachers will be equipped with the tools they need. The premise of the training is that we all know our country is confronted with terrorism and that this has had a very negative impact on the education system.”
The workshop was held from 21 to 23 July 2025 in Ouagadougou with financial support from France’s national union of secondary school teachers, the SNES-FSU.
Supporting the resilience of women teachers
The subject of the training, “ Women’s Resilience in Insecure Situations”, highlights the specific challenges faced by female teachers. As Campaoré explained, “after the training, we expect to see teachers equipped with skills and capacities that will enable them, when they return to their respective jobs, to support the children affected by terrorism and, on a personal level, to overcome the trauma caused by the insecurity.”
Equipping teachers with effective strategies
Alimata Bikienga Ouédraogo, a French teacher who took part in the training, expressed her gratitude:
“It is an honour for us to take part in this training. It will enable us to better equip women, to teach them strategies to remain resilient in the face of these security and humanitarian challenges. There is widespread fear, there have been deaths, and people are psychologically affected.”
Education International, to which the SNESS is affiliated, applauds this trade union initiative undertaken in such difficult circumstances and that provides teachers with the tools they need to continue educating and protecting children in Burkina Faso in spite of the security challenges.
