The southwest region has a rich tradition of folklore. If you visit Ougadougou, don’t miss the traditional drama "Nabayius Gou" (literally meaning, the empire goes to war) held every Friday at 0600. A tearful wife and his subjects restrain the magnificently attired emperor setting off for war with his brother. Festivals of singing, dancing and traditional music, mark the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting.
Two key elements for the culture of Burkina Faso (a country once known as Upper Volta) are its indigenous masks and dancing. The masks used in this region of the western Sahel are made for rites of sacrifice to gods and animal spirits in the villages. Native dance, on the other hand, is employed to demonstrate the villagers’ desire for blessings by the spirits.
Burkina Faso education is mainly influenced by the education system of France, their colonizer. Burkina Faso education system, though, has incorporated certain changes but the basic structure of education followed from French model remains the same.