In the north of Togo, the Savanes region is faced with security challenges, These are major social and educational challenges. And yet, in the heart of this fragile region, primary and lower secondary schools are experimenting with an innovative approach: School Governments and Citizenship Clubs. Their ambition is to make school a place of learning... but also a genuine space for civic engagement.

The Savanes region, located in the far north of the country, is currently vulnerable in a number of ways. Bordering Burkina Faso, it has been under a state of security emergency since 2022 due to the threat of terrorism. These tensions are compounded by inflation, the precarious economic situation of rural households and the large influx of displaced people.

On 31 January 2025, almost 42,000 refugees and internally displaced people were registered in the region, 60% of whom were women and the majority of whom were children. More than 11,000 displaced pupils have been accommodated in local state schools, putting additional pressure on already fragile establishments.

In terms of education, the difficulties are structural. While the net primary school enrolment rate is close to 98 %, the transition to secondary school remains fragile and school performance remains a cause for concern. Nationwide, only 38 % of pupils master basic reading skills by the end of primary school (PASEC 2021). In the Savanes region, the lower secondary completion rate is barely 35 %.

In this context, how can we enable schools to be more than just a place of formal instruction? How can we turn it into a lever for social cohesion and collective resilience?

Citizen schools: learning to get involved from primary school onwards

This is the aim of the Projet d'Appui aux Initiatives Éducatives dans la région des Savanes (PAIE-Savanes), implemented by Action Education in partnership with the communes of Tône 2 and Oti Sud 2 as well as local stakeholders.

At the heart of the scheme are the School Governments in primary schools. This is not just a symbolic exercise: the pupils elect their representatives and structure a government made up of different «ministries»: health, environment, discipline, education and solidarity. Each team takes on concrete responsibilities in the day-to-day life of the school.

By 2025, 58 School Governments had been set up and supported. In several schools, pupils organise waste management, keep the playground clean, take part in conflict prevention and identify vulnerable friends. As a result of this feedback, 174 birth certificates have been issued, which are essential for sitting exams, and 27 bicycles have been distributed to teenage girls living a long way from their school.

Over and above school organisation, the aim is clear: to instil the values of participation, responsibility and solidarity from the earliest age.

Pupils from the EPP Djandjatiè school government © AE Togo

At secondary schools, Citizenship Clubs focus on social issues

At secondary level, 15 Citizenship Clubs are taking over. Their scope of action has broadened to address major societal issues:

• Prevention of teenage pregnancies, in particular through the use of «cycle bracelets» to promote a better understanding of the body. At Koumongou high school, the number of early pregnancies recorded has fallen from 10 to 4 in one year.
• Protection of the environment, through the traditional manufacture of rubbish bins and the upkeep of green spaces.
• Raising awareness of the risks associated with irregular migration, peaceful conflict management and the prevention of violent extremism.

In a region exposed to security tensions, these spaces for dialogue and expression play a decisive role. They offer young people a structured framework for analysing the issues surrounding them and taking collective action.

A tangible effect on the school climate

Feedback from educational teams and parents is consistent: the introduction of School Governments and Citizenship Clubs is helping to improve the school climate. We note that :

• a reduction in violence and conflict,
• lower absenteeism,
• greater student involvement in school life.

At a time when almost one pupil in three in the world claims to have experienced violence at school (WHO), these participative dynamics are an essential lever. In this way, the school becomes not only a place of academic learning, but also a space for democratic socialisation. Pupils are no longer simply beneficiaries of the education system: they become fully involved in it.

The project's ambitions extend beyond the walls of the school. Pupil-led citizenship initiatives are coordinated with local authorities and decentralised education services. The School Governments' action plans are gradually being incorporated into the three-year School Development Plans (PTDES), to ensure their sustainability.

At the same time, the project is building the capacity of local authorities and civil society organisations to encourage citizen control of public action in education.

In a country engaged in a process of decentralisation, this link between schools, town halls and civil society is of strategic importance. It enables these initiatives to be sustained over the long term and prevents them from becoming one-off experiments.

Training students... and encouraging civic commitment

In the Savanes region, the citizen school is more than just a slogan. It responds to a concrete reality: that of young people faced with insecurity, forced displacement and security tensions.
Training in mathematics and reading is fundamental. But learning to engage in dialogue, cooperate, assume responsibility and defend one's rights is just as important.

At a time when many education systems are questioning their ability to train enlightened citizens, the experiment being conducted in the Savanes region is a reminder of the obvious: democracy can also be learned at school.

To find out how these principles of school democracy can be adapted to other cultural contexts, we invite you to read our article Educating for citizenship: training the actors of tomorrow's world. You'll discover how, from France to Senegal, students are organising themselves to transform their daily lives and speak for their communities.