COVID-19: Schools and universities reopen in Burkina Faso after six month closure

Schools and universities reopened in Burkina Faso on Thursday after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While year groups due to sit exams resumed at the end of the last school year, most students have not set foot in a classroom since 16 March.

"The plan is to pick up where we left off, quickly finish last year's course before starting this year's one. We have until mid-November to complete this course," said Widtoghin primary school teacher, Marie Clarisse Kaboré.

The Ministry of Education is planning to pick up where they left off by teaching the previous year's curriculum up until mid-November, before getting underway with new content.

In the primary school of Widtoghin, the mayor of Ouagadougou and Education Ministry authorities were present for the start of the new year, as masks were distributed to pupils and teachers to comply with barrier measures.

The school's reopening comes as no new coronavirus cases were reported in the country on Thursday.

There have so far been just over 2,000 cases and over 50 deaths since the start of the outbreak in January.