It is not the first time that such a tragedy has occurred in Niger. Three students died in the fire in their hut class in Zinder on Monday, February 6. Constructions built from wood and thatch and are multiplying in the country despite the bans announced by the authorities.
President Mohamed Bazoum keeps repeating it: “education is his priority”. The head of state took it “in his right hand”, as we say in Niger. Increase in the schooling rate, and population growth: every year, 500,000 children start primary school.
In Zinder, in the south of Niger, the fire of a class in a straw hut caused the death of three students on Monday, February 6. This new drama highlights the recurring problem of these precarious constructions. If hut classes are banned in town, they are still necessary to educate everyone. For Lawali Issoufou, the secretary general of the Union of Teachers of Niger, it is therefore essential to do prevention. “We must put security measures in place, in particular by hiring guards,” he said. But also by raising awareness among students, parents of students, and their entire community, neighborhoods… So that everyone can put their hand in monitoring and vigilance. »
A long-term project
If the authorities have launched a vast project to build a permanent school, the government spokesperson recognizes that the site is huge and will take time. Tidjani Idrissa Abdoulkadri also highlights the need to ensure better security in establishments: “It is obvious that the reduction of these classes in straw huts will take us a few more years. Until then, we will have to continue to teach children and the government’s wish is that there be more attention, and much more surveillance to avoid these tragedies. »