This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
On August 16, 2019, a controversy erupted in Burundi after photos of students ripping up their uniforms after completing their high school exams went viral on social media.
The students, who were marking the end of their high school careers, were photographed posing for the cameras in their ripped clothes, sparking widespread condemnation from the main teachers' association.
The headmaster of the school involved, in an audio recording circulating online, threatened to withhold the students' leaving certificates due to their 'misconduct.'
President Pierre Nkurunziza also weighed in on the issue, with his spokesman, Jean-Claude Karerwa, stating that the President felt the matter should be handled by parents.
However, Mr. Karerwa noted that the President believed denying a diploma for such behavior could be too severe.
