School leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
Decree 1/19 of 10 September 2013 on the organization of basic and secondary education organizes education personnel into four categories, one of which is the administrative staff (personnel administratif) consisting of directors (directeurs) and management staff. At the secondary level, the term “supervisor” (personnel d’encadrement) may be used.
The 2012-2020 Education Plan, the 2018-2020 Transitional Plan for Education in Burundi, and Burundi’s 2022-2030 Education Sectoral Plan also utilize the term director or school director (directeur d’école).
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
No national competency standards or leadership frameworks and guidelines were found. In 2022, the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research organized workshops to validate two documents addressed to school principals, namely: the Local Resource Management Guide (Le Guide de gestion locale des moyens) and the Monitoring and Evaluation Tools (Les Outils de suivi et d’exploitation), which were not publicly available at the moment for drafting this profile.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: According to Burundi’s 2022-2030 Education Sectoral Plan, school directors prepare the annual action plans based on the ones developed for the municipal, provincial, and central levels.
Developing teaching and learning: The 2018-2020 Transitional Plan for Education in Burundi states that directors must guarantee school compliance with national educational standards and adapt assessments to the actual implementation of programs in classes.
Promoting collaboration: The 2018-2020 Transitional Plan for Education in Burundi states that school directors must implement communication and awareness strategies between themselves, teachers, and families. They also work together with the school management committee and the parent associations. School directors are also asked to hold meetings with their staff.
Supporting staff development: According to article 90 of Decree 1/19 of 10 September 2013, management staff, inspection staff, and teaching offices ensure the design of training programs, supervision, continuing training, and the professional development of teachers. Directors and supervisors should also be trained to use school networks which help to disseminate good practices and improve the professional capacities of teachers.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: Decree 1/19 of 10 September 2013 on the organization of basic and secondary education mandates that teachers devote themselves with equal concern to the education and instruction of the students entrusted to their care. They must not commit any attacks against public institutions, personnel, or the political or religious beliefs of the families of the students entrusted to them. Education personnel are also required to have moral and social qualities.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
Article 46 of Decree 1/19 of 10 September 2013 states that a director of basic education (primary level) must hold a higher education diploma. Articles 90 and 91 detail the requirements for the secondary level. It states that a supervisor must have at least three years of experience, have a higher education or university diploma, and be rated “very good” for the last three years. All secondary school teachers must have a higher education or university diploma.
Appointment decision
No information was found on the specific appointment procedures for school directors. However, Decree 1/19 of 10 September 2013 on the organization of basic and secondary education states that human management responsibilities are given to the local education offices. Articles in the national press mention appointments by the Minister of Education.
Employment equity measures
No equity measures were found for school directors in Burundi.
Working conditions
Working conditions in all sectors are protected under the 2020 Labour Code. Teachers in Burundi are considered civil servants, and school directors as well. 2018-2020 Transitional Plan for Education in Burundi mentions teacher unions, though it is unclear whether school leaders are a part of these unions.
The country has established a national gender policy for 2012-2025, developed by the Ministry of National Solidarity, Human Rights, and Gender. This policy aims to support the effective integration of gender into development interventions across all sectors, including education. Specifically, it seeks to ensure the equitable promotion of the potential and position of both women and men within the economy and to guarantee the participation of both women and men in decision-making spheres.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
While Burundi’s 2022-2030 Education Sectoral Plan discusses in depth the initial training of teachers, the initial training of school directors is not mentioned.
Induction and in-service training
Burundi’s 2022-2030 Education Sectoral Plan aims to strengthen the capacities of inspectors and school directors. To do this, the plan aims to develop training modules on education support and organize training workshops. School supervisory staff for the first three cycles of basic education must be trained. The plan also aims to raise awareness among school principals regarding the care of children with disabilities, out-of-school children, and those at particular risk. It ensures that these children are identified during enrollment and receive special monitoring from the school. This involves training for early identification, creating diagnostic and follow-up forms, and organizing afternoon remedial sessions.
From June 24 to 30, 2024, the training for school principals, organized by the Initiative francophone pour la formation à distance des maîtres (IFADEM) and supported by the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research, took place at the national office in Bujumbura. The workshop aimed to develop educational content for both teachers and principals, with national and international experts leading the sessions. The training produced manuals for principals covering ethics, administration, and pedagogical supervision, and for teachers on methodological skills, teaching comprehension and production, and integrating best practices.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
Article 53 of Law 1/19 of 10 September 2013 on the organization of basic and secondary education states that a school management committee (Comité de gestion de l’école (CGE)) in which parents are represented assists the head of the school in the administration and management of the school. The school management committee has the general objective of empowering grassroots communities and all local partners of the school by involving them more in the administration, financing, and effective management of the school assets and the establishment. Specific operating procedures of the school management committee are determined by the minister's order. Article 93 specifically mandates that all secondary education establishments have school management committees.
Burundi’s 2022-2030 Education Sectoral Plan also discusses the importance of school management committees. The plan calls for the development and use of periodic reports on the operation of the committees. Furthermore, schools are highly encouraged to regularly bring together CGEs and all stakeholders involved. CGEs should take into account the views and needs of the community and other stakeholders. 2018-2020 Transitional Plan for Education in Burundi also mentions CGEs.
3.2. Middle leaders
According to the 2018-2020 Transitional Plan for Education in Burundi, teachers with more experience may be assigned to large group teaching in the first education cycle. The 2018-2020 Transitional Plan for Education in Burundi aims to develop a career plan for teachers defining career progression levels and the benefits assigned to each level. A report on the salaries and working conditions of primary and secondary school teachers in Burundi found that the salaries of primary and secondary school teachers depended on their level of education.
3.3. Parents
Decree 1/19 of 10 September 2013 on the organization of basic and secondary education mentions Parent Associations, stating that they play a part in supporting the state’s efforts to organize and finance the education sector and improve the quality of education. As written in article 18, “the State encourages partnership dynamics with parents.” Article 94 mentions two types of parent organizations the Parent Committee (comité de parents) and the General Assembly of Parents (assemblée générale de parents). Both are considered consultation bodies that are set up to inform the decisions of the education authority. Ministerial orders determine the composition, frequency of meetings, powers, and operating methods of the bodies. The 2018-2020 Transitional Plan for Education in Burundi, uses the term Parent Associations (Association de parents d’élèves (APEs), but does not define them.
3.4. Students
Consultation bodies, referred to in Decree 1/19 of 10 September 2013, include the student committee (le comité d'élèves). Ministerial orders determine the composition, frequency of meetings, powers, and operating methods of the bodies.
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
Decree 1/19 of 10 September 2013 on the organization of basic and secondary education does not give school leaders the power of human resources. Financial management responsibilities are shared with the school management committee. Burundi has also been increasingly working on the decentralization of the education system since the 2012-2020 Education Plan and the adoption of a national decentralization framework of the same year.
Decree No. 100/38 of February 16, 2016, Article 62, stipulates that the Communal Directorates of Education (DCE) oversee the planning and budgeting at the level of educational institutions. They also control the use of financial resources and the management of self-financing revenues for communal institutions. Additionally, they propose a recruitment plan for personnel to the Provincial Directorates of Education (DPE) based on objectively established needs. The DPEs implement the recruitment plan for teaching staff, not the school principals.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
The education inspectorate ensures the educational and administrative regulation of public and private schools. This includes the evaluation of the school’s management.
Decree No. 100/38 of February 16, 2016, Article 63, stipulates that the Provincial Directorates of Education (DPE) are responsible for evaluating at the primary level the principals of fundamental, general post-primary, and technical schools. They are also responsible for initiating disciplinary actions against underperforming staff.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
The 2012-2020 Education Plan trained school leaders on techniques for supervising teachers, their evaluation, and promotions. According to the 2018-2020 Transitional Plan for Education in Burundi, tools were to be developed for the benefit of school directors who are responsible for the direct and daily supervision of teachers. The local supervision system already exists, and school principals have been trained on teacher support tools.
In parallel, Decree No. 100/38 of February 16, 2016, Article 63, also stipulates that the Provincial Directorates of Education (DPE) are responsible for evaluating at the primary level the teachers of primary schools, general post-primary schools, and technical schools.
