Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
In Burundi, the official entry age for pre-primary education is 4 years old. While the national legal framework does not specify any number of years of free or compulsory pre-primary education, as of 2020, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary education marked 8.11%.
Governance
Pre-primary education is financed and overseen within the national education budget under the ministry responsible for education, the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research (MENRS). Pre-primary education is coordinated and supervised through the Pre-school Education Department within the ministry, which is responsible for organising and coordinating both public and private nursery education activities and for setting standards, supporting curriculum development, and monitoring provision. Related early childhood protection activities are largely led by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry for Social Action and the Promotion of Women, but these roles relate mainly to protection and social services rather than the education budget.
Tuition-free status
Public pre-primary education in Burundi is not tuition-free according to national laws and policies, which mandate free public primary education (since 2005) but do not extend this guarantee to the pre-primary level (typically ages 4-6). Pre-primary provision operates through community-based Écoles Maternelles and state-supported centers under the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research, where parental contributions for materials, uniforms, or operations remain common alongside private options.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
No evidence was found of dedicated funding mechanisms for pre-primary education from the central government to subnational governments. Public domestic spending on early childhood and pre-primary education remains extremely limited.
2. Education resources to institutions
Inclusive education policy and implementation are led and coordinated by the Bureau of Inclusive Education (BEI) unit within the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research. Established within the Ministry’s central administration, BEI serves as a policy and coordination hub for inclusive education across the entire education system, not limited to pre-primary education but covering learners with disabilities at all levels. As of 2023, the Ministry supports a network of around 30 satellite inclusive schools and 16 specialised centres targeting children with disabilities. Through BEI, the Ministry designs and coordinates national inclusive education strategies, works with other ministries and non-state actors, supports teacher training and capacity building, promotes community mobilisation, and plans the provision of adapted learning materials, assistive devices, and infrastructure improvements for inclusive and specialised schools, while also overseeing data collection and monitoring related to the schooling of children with disabilities.
3. Education resources to students and families
No evidence was found of any financial support mechanisms by the Ministry of Education for pre-primary education.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Merankabandi is Burundi’s national social safety net programme aimed at reducing extreme poverty and strengthening human capital among poor and vulnerable households. While the programme does not specifically target pre-primary education, young children are included through household-based eligibility, and support is provided to families with children from early childhood through adolescence. Phase I focused on establishing a nationwide cash transfer system, while Phase II (Merankabandi II) strengthened links with education and early childhood development by encouraging beneficiary households to invest in children’s schooling and well-being. By easing household budget constraints and improving food security, the scheme indirectly supports participation in early learning, including pre-primary education, by enabling poor households to better cover education-related costs for young children.
