This archive report was first published on 15 August 2019.
On August 15, 2019, a photo of Burundian students celebrating the end of exams by ripping up their uniforms went viral, sparking a national debate in Burundi.
The students, who were marking the end of their high school careers, were photographed posing for the cameras in their ripped clothes.
The photos, taken at a school in Bujumbura, the main city of Burundi, were widely shared on social media, prompting the main teachers' association to condemn the students' behavior.
According to an audio recording circulating online, the headmaster of the school involved threatened to withhold the students' leaving certificates due to their 'misconduct'.
President Pierre Nkurunziza also condemned the students' behavior when the issue came up at the national security meeting on Tuesday, his spokesman Jean-Claude Karerwa told the BBC.
However, Mr. Karerwa said the president felt that this was an issue that should be dealt with by parents, and that denying a diploma for such behavior could be too severe.
