Appearing before the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee [PAC], the UR Deputy Vice Chancellor for Strategic Planning and Administration Dr Musafiri Papias Malimba explained that new measures put in place to check absenteeism include strengthened supervision and inspection of teaching staff.
“We have intensified inspections. If a lecturer absents from lecture, it taken as absconding from duties. Someone absenting in an office gets a punishment. So the same must be applied for a lecturer’s absence from attending to the learners in favour of private businesses,” he said adding disciplinary committees to enforce the sanctions are already in place.
He said the university punished 10 lecturers in 2018 over failure to lecture as time tabled.
Malimba explained that even a lecturer who conceals information about the absence of a fellow lecturer is punished by the provisions.
The crackdown saw four lecturers dismissed last year, four were temporarily suspended while two received warnings.
The issue of lecturers’ absenteeism was raised by MP Jean Claude Ntezimana noting that MPs visited the university and realized some lecturers had left to work for part time jobs.
“You find students in lecture rooms but have no lecturer because he/she went to give lecturers to other private institutions. You have to tell us the current situation of the transformational agenda on quality education,” he said.
The UR Vice Chancellor Prof. Philip Cotton, said resources have been mobilized to pay lecturers on time and improve their efficiency.
One of the residents told IGIHE that REB contracted Real Vision Company in 2014 to construct the laboratory. Real Vision also hired services of residents in the area to supply labor, sand and steel among other construction materials.
He explained that the contractor halted activities and left without paying them. REB appointed another contractor and promised to pay arrears.
“Every year, REB told us that our arrears would be catered for in the next fiscal budget. Five years on, we have not received payments yet we used to get goods and materials from other hardware stores,” he said.
Affected residents sought assistance from Kayonza district to recover their money but efforts were futile.
The letter to which IGIHE has a copy indicated that the mayor of Kayonza district , Jean Claude Murenzi informed REB about the problem and sent the list of residents to be paid.
One of the officials from the Ministry of Education has confirmed that Kayonza district officials wrote the letter requesting for the payments.
Commenting about the matter in a short message, REB Director General, Dr Irené Ndayamabaje has told IGIHE that the Ministry of Education has commissioned a committee to follow up the case.
The graduation ceremony was suspended yesterday as indicated in the statement signed by the Executive Director of HEC, Dr. Emmanuel Muvunyi.
The statement reads that “ All people particularly students in Evangelical Theology at FATEK belonging to ADEPR are informed that the graduation ceremony to offer bachelor degrees expected on 22nd March 2019 at Dove Hotel in Gisozi sector of Gasabo district has been suspended.’’
The cancellation came at a time when some graduands had spent the night in Gisozi to report on time at the graduation ceremony.
HEC announced to have informed FATEK management that the decision was based on failure to comply with regulations guiding higher learning institutions in Rwanda.
IGIHE has learnt that ADEPR spokesperson, Rev. Karuranga Euphrem was among graduands.
It is said that certificates that were to be given to graduates were made in Uganda and India.
FATEK was advised to comply with regulations to have license to run operations again.
“In the meeting bringing together the Minister of Education and ADEPR spokesperson, FATEK rector and the Executive Director of HEC on 22nd March 2019 ;FATEK has been advised to seek assistance from HEC enabling it to comply regulations of higher learning institutions in Rwanda,” reads part of the statement which doesn’t specify regulations not implemented.
The suspended school introduced Theology & Leadership Master’s Degree on 6th October 2018.
The graduates include 697 who were awarded with bachelor degrees with 22 others being awarded with Master’s degrees.
The students of whom 47% are female were awarded with degrees from the Faculties of Fundamental Applied Sciences, Social Sciences, Law, and Economics with the 22 Masters’ Graduates awarded with degrees in Taxation.
Speaking at the event held in Musanze where the Institute is based, the Bishop of Ruhengeri Diocese, who is also the Chancellor of INES-Ruhengeri, Dr. Vincent Harolimana said the graduates were equipped with enough knowledge and skills that will help them compete on the labor market and create jobs to employ others.
“To contribute to our country’s socio-economic development, INES-Ruhengeri focuses in providing the entrepreneurial education necessary for job creation and self-employment,” Bishop Harolimana said.
The INES-Ruhengeri’s 10th graduation had as theme “Shifting from Paper to Product’’ which Bishop Harolimana explained saying that INES-Ruhengeri wants to the leading university in Information and Communication Technology through the project called “Smart Campus” initiated to boost the use of ICT in teaching, learning, administration and in service delivery at the Institute.
Musanze District vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Marie Claire Uwamariya commended the role played by INES-Ruhengeri in addressing and solving land and health problems in the District through researches conducted by its students.
“Many of you already have constructive business ideas. You should seek support from the Government and other sponsors to implement them. Creating jobs is the effective way for you to contribute in national socio-economic development,” Uwamariya told the graduates.
Valentin Uwishema, who graduated in Land Management said: “Our country still faces problems in the land use and management mostly in registration and residence. We will use the knowledge we got from INES to work with authorities in addressing all those issues.”
“We had standardized and modern laboratories which enabled us carry out various tests and experiments, which will help us do researches to improve health services delivery,” said Oder Ndayishimiye, a graduate in Biotechnology.
The outstanding graduates were awarded with laptops, smartphones and scholarships.
A total of 6,777 students have graduated from INES-Ruhengeri since its foundation in 2003.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Finance at the University of Rwanda, Françoise Kayitare Tengera said the debt was due to challenges that followed the merger of different institutions to create the University of Rwanda in 2013.
She said UR inherited debts from the merged public institutions owed to its staff and other suppliers.
Last year, the University of Rwanda officials outlined a 5-year plan of how to pay the debt.
“The Government has pledged to increase our budget part of which will service the debt,” Kayitare Tengera said, adding that it is the Government’s will to help the University progressing.
Government has pledged to have paid the debt in five years.
Tengera has said Government will be paying between Rwf.1.8 billion and Rwf.2.6 billion per year. It has already paid Rwf2 billion.
“The next Auditor General’s report will show the debt is no longer as it was. When we pay the debt, we start by priorities which have been unpaid for the longest time,” Tengera explained.
From 2015 the University of Rwanda has faced financial hardships which saw it fail to pay regular salaries for its staff, funding students’ internships and failing to pay suppliers.
Currently, salaries of teachers in public nursery schools are paid by parents.
“The Ministry of Education plans that teachers in nursery will be paid salaries by the Government starting with next fiscal year. Efforts by parents are not enough. When the Government doesn’t pay them salaries, there are no planned means to follow them up and train them,” Dr. Ndayambaje said adding that the number of certified nursery teachers is still low and unless the Government sets ways to treat them well, they can’t deliver expected results.
Rwanda Government projects the number of children between five and six years pursuing nursery education to increase from 24% to 45% in the next seven years.
According to the Education Ministry figures of 2017, there were 3,186 nursery schools of which 455 are public with 1,484 being public-private whereas 1,247 schools are private.
In 2017, there were 6,039 nursery school teachers in Rwanda.
The communiqué released yesterday, December 25th, by the Ministry of Education informs the headteachers, teachers, parents and students that the Academic Year of 2019 for primary and secondary studies will start on Monday, January, 14, 2019.
The communiqué signed by the Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr. Isaac Munyakazi, shows the academic year is divided into three trimesters of which the first starts from 14th January 2019 up to April 6th, 2019, an 11-week stint.
Holidays for the first trimester will go for two weeks, from April 7th, 2019- the day Rwanda will start seven days commemorating the 1994 genocide against Tutsi for the 25th time- up to 21st, April 2019.
The second trimester will see Rwandan learners pursuing primary and secondary education undergo studies for 13 weeks, starting from April 22 up to July 19, 2019 before heading to the two-weeks holidays that will start on July 20 up to August 03rd, 2019.
The third trimester will start on 4th, August and end on 8th November 2019.
National primary leaving examinations will be held from 4th to 6th November 2019 while national for secondary ordinary and advanced level studies will start on November 12th up t0 26th November 2019.
Also issued at the first time are locally printed Rwanda advanced certificates of education for the high school leavers.
Unveiling the new academic documents on Tuesday, Director General of Rwanda Education Board (REB) Dr Irenée Ndayambaje said the locally made certificates have a high level of security against hacking and falsification risks.
“Another new step is that we have made certificates for 237,181 primary six leavers who sat for national examinations in 2017,” he said.
REB has also printed 44,037 for 2017 high school leavers and 1,172 certificates for those who sat for senior six examinations between 2008 and 2015 but were until today waiting for errors in their certificates to be rectified.
Dr Ndayambaje said Rwandans have been struggling to get a confirmation of primary six results whenever they need it while applying for other higher courses or visas.
They had to go through a rigorous process from schools to REB.
Now every primary six leaver will receive a certificate and keep it themselves.
Contrary to certificates issued in the past, locally printed certificates will not bear a photo of the owner.
Dr Ndayambaje said photos have been causing confusion as people’s face changes over time, making it hard for one to ascertain the photo’s owner.
However, REB has kept photos on 1,172 corrected certificates of those who did senior six national examinations between 2008 and 2015. This intends to keep similar certificates with those issued in that period.
REB has also unveiled a portal in which certificates’ authenticity will be verified in order to prevent falsification. Only new certificates for 2017 high school graduates are in the newly built system but REB has promised to insert certificates of the previous years in a few months ahead.
Referring to the recent commitment of the Ministry of Education to issuing academic certificates in a maximum period of six months from the release of examination results, Dr Ndayambaje said there is an ambition to even shorten this period to three months.
Rwanda advanced certificates of education have been going to Germany for printing, causing delays in being delivered.
For primary six certificates, Dr Ndayambaje said they will bear names of the owner’s parents. This is because primary six leavers are often too young to have other official documents like a national identity card and the fact that they sometimes change their names.
The Ceremony took place at the School’s HQ in Nyarutarama, Gasabo district.
Stephen Rudakemwa, director of Wellspring Academy, congratulated the new graduates and remarked that the certificates that had been handed out would remain pieces of paper if not exploited so as to bring change in the world.
“We give these certificates to our graduates because we are certain that they are ready to use the knowledge and values they acquired from here. Christian values must accompany science to succeed in life. We urge them to be the change our country need,” he said.
He further said it was a good step by the school for graduating students at the second time, producing good minds for the future of the country.
The remarks were echoed by Ntaganda Damien who spoke in the name of the board of directors of Wellspring Academy, noting that the school trains students to be good leaders who will transform Rwanda and show difference in the world entirely.
Speaking during the event, the National Coordinator of the National Early Childhood Development Program, Dr Anita Asiimwe who was also the guest of Honor, said that the graduation day was a great opportunity for students to look back and reflect on the journey that have been covered, but also to prepare themselves for what lays ahead.
“As this day ends, take the time to consider every words and memories, but most importantly learn from what happened and strive to be the future great leaders our country needs.”
She further noted that as the school marks 11 years of operations, it was imperative that they take the time to consider what could be done so as to continue training future leaders for the country and the world as the school’s mission of the school.
Located in Nyarutarama, Wellspring Academy was established by members of Christian Life Assembly and Wellspring Foundation in 2007, with a mission to instill Christian values in students while healing the wounds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The school is among the best schools in Kigali and currently has graduated more than 100 students since it was officiated.
Funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the three-year programme which aims at improving English language literacy and numeracy among students of primary one, two and three grades (P1, 2 and 3) is jointly being implemented by Education Development Trust, British Council and VSO, the three organisations which designed the programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Rwanda Education Board (REB).
Launching the programme, Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr. Isaac Munyakazi commended DFID as an outstanding partner in Rwanda’s education and said BLF marks “a significant commitment in supporting the development of quality education.”
Munyakazi said that the programme comes at the right time as the recently concluded 15th National Leadership Retreat (Umwiherero) resolved improving quality of education among other resolutions.
“Building Learning Foundations Programme is a very welcome and timely intervention by UKaid. The programme will benefit Rwandan children by building the capacity of English and Mathematics teachers, enhancing school leadership for learning and strengthening the country’s education system,” he said.
British High Commissioner to Rwanda Joanne Lomas hailed Rwanda’s strides in education such as school enrolment at 99% and inclusive education that considers both genders and people with special needs.
“I am delighted to launch the new Building Learning Foundations project. Through this three-year nationwide project, the UK will provide £25.3 million for improved teaching and learning in lower primary grades 1-3 – with a focus on English and Mathematics. BLF is a strategic investment to ensure that all Rwandan children have the foundational skills needed to contribute to continued social and economic development,” she said.
The Programme running until 2021 will provide all English and Mathematics teachers in lower primary grades with toolkits which include self and peer-study books with audio and video material on an SD card, as well as continuous professional development linked to the toolkits. The Programme will also provide capacity development to all Sector and District education officers.
Teachers welcomed the programme saying that it will support them to lead nationwide school improvement.
Georgine Mukarugira, Headteacher of Saint Paul Muko Primary School in Rusizi District, said the programme has made her shift from being school administrators to leaders of learning as her school was considered in BLF’s pilot phase that started in July 2017.
“BLF comes to provide us with the skills and resources to lead on school improvement for learning achievements, to budget, manage school grants, staff and learners, and maintain effective reporting and data management,” she said.
Building Learning Foundations is built on three foundations to ensure sustainable impact by focusing on teacher development, school leadership for learning, and system strengthening. Each foundation has a focus on inclusive education practices for pupils with Special Educational Needs to ensure no child is left behind.
