Some of these schools were occupied by armed gangs and others by displaced persons, resulting in school dropouts and forcing private school teachers to leave the education system.

A gradual decline in the number of school hours and days spent in the classroom is notable, the newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported.

The previous school calendar provided for 188 school days and eight days off, divided into 940 teaching hours for the basic cycle and 1,128 hours for the new secondary cycle.

This year, the number of school days is reduced to 186, and if insecurity continues, this trend could continue in the country.

“This creates panic and calls into question the present and future of students,” the newspaper warns.

Students’ performance on official exams is compromised as they cannot attend the required number of class hours and the school days scheduled in the calendar. The start of the 2025-2026 school year, which should normally begin in September, has been set for October 1.

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