A few days ago I visited a Fulani community to assess the results of an adult beginners’ course in Fulfulde.  The reading, writing and calculation skills were not very good. I thought then that  there would be a further aspect to evaluate, which is not always taken into account.

I am referring to parental ( maternal in particular) ability to read and write and its effect on  the willingness to send their children to school.

I inquired about the number of children that had been attending the first and second year of primary school the past year. The answer was: “One child has been to the first year and one has been to the second”. I went on: “And this year, how many children are going to go to school?” One of the elders, head of the larger family, replied: “We considered this matter a few days ago.” He called upon 5 or 6 children and introduced  each one by their name to me and said: “We are going to register all these  and a few more children from the next block for the first grade.”

I told myself: ”After all the outcome of the adult beginners’ course is not all that bad !

Koudougou, August 16^th 2008

Maurice Oudet