Benin Deputies Mobilize for Education
Last May members of Benin's Parliamentary Commission for Education, Culture, Employment and Social Affairs toured all 12 of the country's provinces. Their purpose was to solicit the opinions of the people on proposed legislation for public education. Djibril Debourou, a Member of Parliament and of the Commission, took part in the consultation, the first of its kind in Benin.
Benin's education system has not been legally reformed since major political changes occurred in 1990. Following the Conference Nationale des Forces Vives, held in February 1990, Benin entered a transitional period of government. Then the legislature met for the first time in April 1991, thereby lending support to the restoration of democracy. Immediately after the General Assembly on Education, held in October 1990, a proposal concerning the education system was sent to the National Assembly. Had it been voted on, this draft legislation would have replaced the 1975 ordinance, which, by default, has continued to govern the country's education system, despite the profound political changes that have occurred in Benin. As it happens, the draft law of 1990 was never voted on.
Under the signs of democracy, partnership and shared responsibility
Parents, teachers, and some funding agencies have decried this legal vacuum even more vigorously than the country's leaders. The Commission for Education, Culture, Employment and Social Affairs decided to act. The MPs have taken the debate seriously; they are aware of the importance of the issues, the numbers of social groups involved, and the desire for transparency. They also want the process to help encourage democracy in Benin. The discussions in the provinces were the beginning of a great public movement and interest in education, fueled by the unanimous decision on the part of the MPs to leave the narrow confines of the Governor's Palace, where the Parliament meets, and to hold hearings on the draft law in each of Benin's twelve provinces.
This national consultation, organized with financial support from ADEA, set itself the following goals:
- Inform the public and build awareness of the draft legislation on education;
- Solicit suggestions and take note of the concerns of the various partners involved in education;
- Meet with and listen to national and international NGOs involved in developing the education sector;
- Inform the Minister of Education and Scientific Research and his staff of what people living far from the decision-making center of Benin are thinking.
Having momentarily tabled their political differences, the MPs serving on the Education Commission are ready to join forces for the common cause of education.
The great rush of public interest in education, along with the unusual parliamentary initiative, are emblematic of certain significant changes in Benin:
- Usually, the MPs maintain adversarial and highly political relations with the government ministers. But for once, the legislative and executive branches reached out to one another in perfect accord: they would build the national school system together.
- The usual political quarrels and differences within the National Assembly were put aside during the three long weeks of this novel exercise in transparency and democracy. The 83 MPs represent 24 political parties and belong to six parliamentary groups. The 13-member Commission on education, among whom there are five university professors, and two each from secondary and primary education, reflect the highly diverse political configuration of the Benin parliament. Nevertheless, the issue of education succeeded in bringing together people whose political interests have often divided them.
These exceptional conditions, together with the impulse they gave to direct democracy, have led to the kind of debate most likely to ensure widespread support for any future legislation. The law will define a vision of education for the third millennium. It will establish priorities and incorporate the movement towards decentralization that is already underway in Benin.
Some setbacks
As attentive legislators, the MPs wished to come up with helpful compromises. Yet various obstacles thwarted their enthusiasm and energy. For one, there was suspicion in some circles. Some people suggested, wrongfully, that the MPs were already beginning their campaigns for the presidential elections a year away. Union supporters and even a few Commission members forgot which tribune they were addressing and wandered off into subjects far removed from those on the agenda.
But these slip-ups were generally dwarfed by the overall high quality of debate. More serious was the attitude of the agencies and development partners. By extending their discussions to include the international development agencies, the Commission hoped to promote a sense of co-responsibility based on confidence in all actors, whatever their role. In the interests of good governance the Parliament wanted to be open to everyone. Invitations were sent to agencies to a parliamentary hearing on the draft law. Yet out of eight invitations, only three agencies showed up, with the other five conspicuous by their absence. The national representatives of Benin were greatly disappointed, and the MPs are wondering if the development agencies are harboring doubts about Benin's exercise of democracy, with its collegial spirit and openness to external partners.
These setbacks can in no way detract from the tremendous national interest aroused by the exercise. Even the other permanent commissions of the Parliament the enthusiasm was overwhelming. The President of the Economic and Finance Commission wants to lead a similar exercise, following the same model. By working together regardless of their leanings, the MPs have impressed Benin's people and inspired greater respect for government. And the exchanges with a wide range of players have given the MPs a better understanding of the education issues than they had before the national forum took place.
For once, legislation will be the fruit of a long process of consultation instead of a fistfight between government and the Parliament.
DJIBRIL M. DEBOUROU
DEPUTY IN THE BENIN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY,
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, CULTURE, EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS
1. Conférence nationale des forces vives: National Conference held in February 1990. The conference recommended structural and curriculum changes within Benin's educational system. It was organized within the framework of a vast movement to reform education between 1988 and 1991. The conference preceded the Etats Généraux de l'éducation in October 1990.
Report of ADEA Biennial Meeting
Proceedings of the ADEA 1999 Biennial Meeting are now available. The ADEA 1999 Biennial Meeting took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, December 5-9, 1999. The theme was: "What Works and What's New in Education: Africa Speaks!"
Copies of the report can be ordered from:
ADEA Publications
7-9 rue Eugène-Delacroix, 75116 Paris, France;
Tel: +33/(0) 145 03 77 57
Fax: +33/(0) 145 03 39 65
E-mail:
The full text of the report is also available on ADEA's Web Site
Previous Article | Contents | Next Article
![[ADEA logo]](../../pics/top_main.gif)
![[Table]](../../pics/top_right.gif)
![[ADEA Newsletter Image]](../../pics/newsletter.jpg)
