Visit to the Bogodogo College in Ouagadougou

Monday morning 7.30: while I am finishing my breakfast, Christoph, member of the Burkina NTIC network and teacher at the Bogodogo College, enters the court yard of the hotel to pick-me up for a visit to his College. Aside of his teaching Christoph is also responsible for the maintenance of the computers and the training of staff and today he is going to show me how his school makes of ICT. A few minutes later we are on our way. It must have been a funny sight: a big man and tall, blond woman on a small motorbike cruising through the streets of Ouagadogou.

School normally starts at 7.30 but as the lessons had ended but a few pupils and teachers are at school to finalise the paper work and waiting for their end results. I am kindly introduced to the head of the school who tells me, before he rushes off to a meeting, that his school has a partnership with a French college. We also stop by at the secretariat where Mme Soulema, a kind, but severe looking lady who is responsible for the administration and registration of the results. Until three years ago all the paperwork was still done by hand. She shows me on the computer how they have organised the student administration. I ask her if she is happy to have a computer to process all the information. It surely must save a lot of time. A little cross she answers that she now has more work to do than before. Before they started using the computers teachers themselves where responsible for filling out the end results of pupils and to double check all the grades. Now she is the one to enter all the data which includes chasing all the teachers to deliver the information on time. What adds up to it, is that she used to share her work with another colleague, but the other colleague has left and the position is still vacant.

Christoph shows me the computer room, a former class room. Next year, he tells me, the computer room will be extended, if all goes to plan. There are 10 computers available in the computer room and one in the library. All have access to the internet which is paid for by the state. It is the College who pays for the hardware. Christoph wants me to show the website of the school, but there is very little connectivity today, a problem which occurs more often. Not only at the College, but in the entire city of Ouagadougou. Especially after heavy rainfall it takes time for the internet is up and running again. All teachers and pupils have access to the computers and know how to use them, though the pupils can only use the computers under supervision of a teacher.

I talked to one of the pupils at the College, Clotaire Minounga. He is happy with the computer facilities at school, though he wishes he could make more use of them. As there are but a few computers available for a little less than 1,000 pupils most pupils spend no more than an hour a week behind the computer to do research on the internet for one of their subjects. Outside school he often visits telecentres: places that offer services like photo copying, fax, phone, but also internet access. While he uses the computer at school only to do homework, at the telecentres he spends all his time to email with friends.

Then Christoph is suddenly asked to come and help out to sort a problem with the printer of the secretariat. Mrs Soulama, head of the secretariat, is a kind, but severe women. She is responsible for the registration and administration of pupils and their results. The director of the lycee has asked for the results of some of the students which have to be discussed in a meeting with teachers. The printer itself works, but somehow the connection between printer and computer fails. Christoph checks everything: he replaces the cable, re-installs the software of the printer and replaces the ink cartridge. Several teachers, students and other staff drop by, but no one seems to be able to solve the problem. An hour goes by. Then suddenly, the printer ‘decides’ to print exactly those pages that where asked for by the director. Mrs Soulama and Christoph, are relieved. But to make sure everything is in order, Christoph calls one of his cousins, who is a computer engineer, to stop by and check the printer connection.

I decide that it is time to leave. It was a busy morning at the College. The introduction of ICT and computers at the Bogodogo College has surely benefitted both teachers and pupils, but brought along some challenges too.