Education project twins students in two countries

A project to twin private sector lycées – upper secondary schools – and universities in Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire is due for completion at the end of the month, with the aim of bringing together students from the two countries and strengthening regional integration.

[http://planeteschools-burkina.com/ind...;Itemid=11 style=bluelink]Planète Schools[/url] organised a meeting in Ouagadougou at the end of August for heads of 21 Burkina institutions that have entered the twinning agreement, reported Sidwaya of Ouagadougou.

The meeting was held to finalise details before the project’s official launch on 28 September in Abidjan.

The project aims to establish contacts between young people of the two countries, strengthening the process of integration by bringing them together and cultivating a mutual spirit of tolerance, said Le Pays of Ouagadougou.

According to Planète Schools, as reported in Le Pays: “In view of the common educational aims of these two countries that history and geography have linked for centuries, it is time for young people to take up their responsibilities in creating frameworks for exchanges that will make our lycées centres of excellence.

“This is how, as part of the integration process, Burkina lycées and universities are twinning with Ivoirian secondary and higher institutions.”

Becker Junior, publications director of Planète Schools, said the aim of the twinning project was to support the two countries in streamlining their education systems and bringing knowledge to young people, reported Sidwaya.

He told the meeting: “These twinnings will allow young Ivoirians and Burkinabés to gain responsibility for tomorrow through exchanges of experiences and methods on the one hand, and cultivating a spirit of solidarity on the other.”

Sébastien Dayama, managing director of sponsoring company IDM Burkina, symbolically presented a movie camera, two portable computers and a cheque for FCFA1 million (US$2,000) towards the programme’s launch, reported Le Pays.

* This article is drawn from local media. University World News cannot vouch for the accuracy of the original report.