Bi.,5 - (PDF, 101 mb) - USAID

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There is substantial variation in the educational background of
the students although all appear to have had adequate preparation for
the training they receive at the CA. Twenty-six percent of the
students have completed the C01 (Certificat des Studes Primaires
-mentaires). rublly 6u percent have completed the 30C (Brevet des
Etudes du Premier Cycle). Four percent of them received the B.IA
(Brevet d'Enseignement Agricole) and 5 percent have the BAT.
When asked why they had decided to come to the CAP, only 13
percent replied that they had come due to lack of other work or the
lackvailable scholarships elsewhere. Twenty-eignt percent cited the
development needs of Upper Volta as their main reason for coming to
the CA?. A desire to work in agriculture was the reason given by 31
percent of the students, while 11 percent cited both development and
an interest in agriculture as their reason for choosing the CAP.
Fifteen percent gave a variety of personal reasons in response to
this question.
B. 6tudies at the CA?
Students at the CAP have a choice of one of three specializations.
When asked which they prefered, 53 percent of the students said they
preferred agriculture .d, 25 percent preferred livestock (41evage)
and 15 percent preferred water resources management/forestry (eaux
et forts). Two percent were undecided between two of the three specialities.
An additional two percent identified areas not presently
offered as specialities at the CA? e.g.
Home Zconomics.
Students report they generally average 2 hours of classwork
and 4 hours of field work (travaux pratiques) per week. However, it
appears that this is subject to very wide variation depending upon
the availability of professors and the seasonality of field work.
When students were asked if they were satisfied with the courses
taught at the CAP, 83 percent responded in the negative. Among the
problems noted frequently were 1) the lack of staff, 2) the lack
of textbooks, and 3) the divorce of theory from practice. n the
latter point, one student summed it up succinctly as follows :
"Notre formation est essentiellement bas6e sur la th~orie.
Alors que pour mieux comprendre les cours et bien exercer
notre metier k la sortie, nous devons faire la pratique
presqu'apr~s chaque cours theorique. Les travaux pratiques
que nous faisons constament ici Irecolter le mals, labourer
la cours avec des dabas...) sont non-formateurs".
_/ The French term "agriculture" as used in this context is approximately
equivalent to the Inglish "plant sciences".