Category: Education

Mahatma Gandhi University Rwanda launched its new volumes of academic textbooks and self-learning modules on ICT integrating today’s rapidly advancing technologies.

In his statement, MGUR Chancellor and Founder, Dr. Rajan Chopra said “in view of His Excellency, President Paul Kagame’s government efforts in achieving Vision 2020, we are taking bold steps to invest on improving our academic materials to provide the skills that are core in achieving the goal of transforming the nation’s agriculture-based economy to a knowledge-based economy. We are going to stride further by issuing not only quality textbooks but as well as laptops to students that will help them improve their ICT skills.”

MGUR Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Vince Sinining added “MGUR is working towards becoming the Center of Excellence in Online and Distance Learning, providing working people access to higher education, anytime, anywhere. We are also working on providing in-service training tour lecturers and tutors to improve ‘teaching and learning’ using online resources, as well as hands-on training.”

The Honorable Minister of Education, Dr. |Papias Musafiri Malimba served as the Guest of Honor. He said “this is an important occasion that the Ministry of Education supports as the government places ICT at the forefront of the country’s efforts towards achieving Vision 2020. Like Mahatma Gandhi University Rwanda, we are confident that Higher Education Institutions in Rwanda will continue to play their significant roles in utilizing ICT in today’s advancing technologies and provide our students the necessary skills to be competitive.”

After the book launch, special scholarships were awarded to two rising singing stars in Rwanda — Yvan Buravan and Andy Bumuntu, who will be studying Mass Communication with specialization in audio-video production related to their career in the performing arts.

Two students today, were also award laptops — Karemera David and Byukusenge Muriel.

Dr. Rajan Chopra also awarded “Special Achievement Awards” to individuals in various fields—Education, Banking, Public Service, Non-profit Organization, Media, TV, and the Performing Arts.

Kizib – Inside a red-brick building with a tin roof in western Rwanda, a group of young people are hard at work studying for a US-accredited university degree.

But these are no ordinary students: they are Congolese refugees for whom such a qualification could spell an escape from stateless limbo.

Over the past year, a Rwandan charity called Kepler has been offering refugees in Kiziba camp the chance to take online degree courses from the Southern New Hampshire University in the United States.

Since the mid-1990s, Kiziba has housed thousands of refugees who have fled the conflict in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is currently home to 17 000 people, some of whom were born and raised in the camp.

Until recently a university degree was an impossible dream with local fees at a Rwandan university costing up to $1 200 a year, well beyond the reach of young refugees.

And even if they did get the money, the country’s main universities are all in the capital Kigali, which is a three-hour drive from this isolated hilltop camp.

But this year, a group of 25 refugees all in their 20s began studying communications and management.

“Before finishing high school, I had no hope of going to university but now I see it’s possible!” enthuses Eugenie Manirafasha, who was just six months old when her family fled to Rwanda in 1996.

Now she is one step closer to realising her ambition of becoming a hospital director.

Education for freedom

The refugees follow an online version of the US course but at a less demanding pace, allowing them up to five years to complete the degree, with much of the first year devoted to getting their spoken and written English up to scratch.

Access to higher education “is very important for refugees all over the world,” says Nina Weaver, who runs Kepler’s educational programmes.

Even more so in Rwanda where refugees “have the right to work and to move around freely which is not the case in many other countries,” she says.

Having a degree gives them “an opportunity to integrate better” into Rwandan society, as well as a way to “give back” to the country that has taken them in, Weaver explains.

A university education also offers them an escape route from dependence on charity handouts, says Mark Roeder of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

“Tertiary education is one way to make refugees independent,” he said. “It gives a boost to (the) refugee mentality and gives them hope they are not being forgotten by the international community.”

The United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) handed over a state-of-the-art audio-visual studio worth US $51,076 to the Rwanda Education Board (REB). Since 2011 USAID’s Literacy, Language, and Learning (L3) Initiative has worked in partnership with the Rwanda Education Board (REB) and the University of Rwanda’s College of Education to strengthen the quality of education and ensure that children leave primary school equipped with foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

Support from the L3 initiative included the development of a comprehensive package of Kinyarwanda, Mathematics, and English print and interactive audio materials, accompanied by teacher training to improve teaching and learning in Primary 1-4 classrooms across the country. Nearly 2 million learners nationwide have benefited from the L3 program.

L3 furnished the studio to record the interactive audio lessons that are played in classrooms, as well as to produce interactive video-based resource packs used by the REB’s School-Based Mentoring Program. Resources in the specially designed audio-visual studio include cameras, microphones and headphones, computers, and other editing and recording equipment.

“L3 is handing the studio over to REB at the right time, especially with the implementation of the competence-based curriculum this year,” explained REB Director General, Janvier Gasana. The Director General added, “As the L3 initiative demonstrated, we can use technology to make learning interesting and fun.”

“The United States has appreciated the productive collaboration with the Rwanda Education Board to date, and is committed to continued partnership with the Government of Rwanda to strengthen teaching and learning in Rwanda,” said Marcia Musisi-Nkambwe, Mission Director for USAID in Rwanda.

The symbolic handover ceremony was held at the studio, which is located within the REB offices, and was attended by L3 representatives along with officials from the Ministry of Education and USAID.

Amidst controversy on remuneration of academic staff in Uganda’s public universities, Rwanda’s leading university is hunting for professors with alluring packages.

The University of Kigali needs professors of marketing, accounting, finance, information technology, procurement and law. Other positions advertised are for a dean and a director of quality assurances.

“The positions will attract a competitive salary, commensurate to the demonstrable record of substantial contribution to research and scholarship; excellence and leadership in academic teaching and professional achievement,” the university said in an advert published in New Vision on Friday.

The announcement, according to higher education experts is likely to see more staff in Uganda’s public universities leave for green pastures.

There is evidence that Rwanda offers the best remuneration packages in the region.

According to a 2012 report by a committee of all vice chancellors of public universities in Kenya, the monthly salary and allowances of a full professor in Rwanda was at an average of $4,900 compared to Kenya’s $2,200, $3,200 in Tanzania and $ 1,150 in Uganda.

Prof. A.B Kasozi, the former executive director of the National Council for Higher Education said it was the norm world over for universities to compete for high quality staff across borders.

“Universities are both local and international and they compete to attract the best professors from anywhere in the world. And academic staff are free to go where they feel they can serve best,” Kasozi told Sunday Vision.

Sources say low salaries are behind the high attrition rates at public universities in Uganda. For instance, Makerere lost 25 high-profile lecturers in 2011 alone, forcing management to put a few post graduate programmes on halt as they did not have required staff to run the courses.

“Poor pay is one the reasons most staff have resigned,” said Louis Kakinda, the secretary general of the Makerere University Academic staff.

Coincidentally, Kigali University’s hunt for professors comes at a time when Makerere University is closed over salary battles.

However, higher education minister Dr. Chrysostom Muyingo downplays the fears that Makerere could lose some of its staff during the closure.

“There is no cause for alarm. Nobody can run away. We are in touch with them and they want us to find a lasting solution to their problems and be able to turn Makerere into a center of excellence for research and innovation,” Muyingo told Sunday Vision.

Charted in 2013, the University of Kigali is one of the leading private higher institutions of learning in Rwanda. It is a fully accredited /chartered University by the Government of Rwanda.

International schools in Rwanda have created Rwanda International Schools Forum (RISFO) to enable them work together in ensuring quality education in Rwanda and, potentially, other parts of Africa.

“We believe in cooperation and RISFO will serve as a forum where all international schools in Rwanda will get together to organize and participate in joint events e.g. debate competitions, inter-school sports and academic events, teacher training programs among others,” said Isa Gokturk Yilmaz, principal of Hope Academy Rwanda, a RISFO member school, and interim office vice president. “Our first goal is to officially register it by involving as many schools as possible in this process so everyone has ownership.”

In a broader sense, RISFO is aimed at enhancing local educators’ skills with academic disciplines such as curriculum development, teacher training, career goals, support material development, athletic programs, talent development and other related pedagogical matters. The forum intends to address these matters by creating activities that will engage international schools, finding varied opportunities for learners, organizing academic and athletic competitions and empowering teachers through workshops – amongst other methodologies. In addition, the forum also provides a platform in which teachers and school managers can compare notes on common areas for better delivery of service to learners.

RISFO has already been keeping a busy schedule with several important events in recent months to help bring its goals to fruition. Recently, the forum conducted its first Cambridge training for teachers which was the first face-to-face training of its kind. The four-day training was held at Riviera High School in July of 2016. It was divided into two segments; two days for primary school teachers and two days for secondary school teachers. The turnout was high, nearly 120 teachers, and the mood was pleasant, according to RISFO officers in attendance.

Thus far, there have been two successful general assembly meetings of member school administrators: one taking place at Mother Mary School Complex and another at Hope Academy Rwanda. The meetings are an opportunity to undertake a variety of matters including, but not limited to: registration of member schools, calendar events for 2017 and drafting statutes.

The future looks bright for RISFO – judging by the cooperation of the stakeholders so far. It is gratifying to note that the registration documents have been prepared, pro bono, by an individual who has made great contribution to education in Rwanda. The forum will provide a platform for tapping such goodwill for the benefit of the children of this nation. Member schools agree that we can look forward to a future where a child who opts for the international curriculum is exposed to as many opportunities as possible, as a result.

Interim Office: The interim office comprises of:
i) Mr. Boniface Onyango (Principal – Riviera High School) – President
ii) Mr. Isa Yilmaz (Principal – Hope Academy Rwanda) – Vice President
iii) Ms. Diana Nawatti (Principal – Mother Mary) – Secretary
iv) Mr. Magadi Bora (Cambridge coordinator- Nu Vision) – Member
v) Mr. Geoffrey Mutabazi (Headmaster – Little Bears Montessori) – Member

RISFO is a non-governmental organization with headquarters in Kibagabaga, Kimironko sector within the Gasabo district of Kigali.