Fear of attacks keeps children away from school in Burkina Faso

OUAGADOUGOU, Feb 24 (AFP): More than 150,000 children are not going to school in Burkina Faso because of the threat of jihadist violence, the education minster has said, warning of a "deteriorating" situation in the West African nation.

More than 1,100 schools have been forced to close or temporarily shutdown due to assaults and threats by radical Islamists, Stanislas Ouaro said on recently.

"This year the situation is deteriorating," he said.

"There are schools closed for a few weeks, a few months and others since the beginning of the (school) year."

The school year began in October 2018 but some 5,000 teachers are unable to work, he said.

More than 300 people have been killed in Burkina Faso -- part of the troubled vast Sahel region -- in four years of jihadist attacks, according to an AFP count.

School closures have spread from the country's conflict-ridden north to the east, the minister said.

He said 1,135 schools were closed, with 154,233 students prevented from attending classes.