The students went to Ruhango District offices to register their grievances with local government authorities including; being denied scholastic equipment they need in their practical courses, incessant corporal punishments by the head-teacher, Mr Wilton Ndayisenga.
In an interview with IGIHE, Ruhango District Mayor Valens Habarurema said that they have addressed the problem.
“We met students and they told us the problems that they have including being beaten which incited them to protest. They said one of them was beaten but we couldn’t see the alleged victim, he had already gone home,” he said.
The mayor said that they have suspended the school headmaster and his deputy. The school is now headed by the director of studies.
The headmaster Wilton Ndayisenga Wilton, said the problem arose from finding one of the students with a mobile telephone which he refused to surrender to school authorities on request and was therefore asked to leave the school premises.
Ndayisenga further says that those who protested are refugees from different refugee camps who came to for a one year course at the school.
“I told the school bursar to give him money and go back home if he refused to give the phone. They gave him Rwf7000 but he refused to take the money saying it was little. When I grabbed him to get him out of the school, he gave punched me,” he said.
Ndayisenga said that he did not fight back but the student destroyed school furniture, eventually took the money and left school, attracting a crowd of other students that joined him.
Mayor Habarurema said they have asked Rwanda Investigation Bureau to investigate the matter.
“We have requested RIB to make an investigation. Students complain that they do not have school uniforms, those who study tailoring complain they do not have working materials while those who study hairdressing say they are not given consumables.
Collège Adventiste de Gitwe accommodates more than 500 students.
Leave a Reply