In this article, the authors review the literature on orphanhood, schooling, and the role of the extended family system in supporting the education of orphans in Burkina Faso. They also summarize the historical, social, and economic context of this study. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of orphanhood on children's access to school and explore the roles of poverty and the extended family support network in helping children to attend school following the death of a parent. Using the descriptive as well as multivariate analysis on the event history data collected in 2000, the authors found that parental death is detrimental for children's chances of entering school when they lose both parents, especially in rural areas. (Contains 40 notes.)