Category: Education

{After launching a new science based school curricula, the Ministry of Education has concluded the training of 25,000 teachers from nursery, primary one and primary four.
The training that ended on 29th January, 2016 started in all upcountry districts on 25th January, 2016.}

While officially closing the training held in Saint Aloys Secondary School, Rwamagana, the state minister in charge of primary and secondary school, Olivier Rwamukwaya said that trainings were organized to help teachers adopt the new curricula.

“The one week training was meant to equip teachers with knowledge to implement the new school curricula,” he said.

He said that the new school curricula put students at the center of learning where they can accumulate, discuss and share knowledge.

Rwamukwaya said that students under the new learning system will have the capacity to be more competitive to fit regional and international market demands. and globally.

Dr Joyce Musabe, the Deputy Director-General in Charge of Curriculum and Pedagogical Materials in Rwanda also noted that the new curricula will help students to maximize benefits of acquired knowledge, explaining that the new curricula is vital for students even when they do not continue to university level.

Nyirahakuzimana Ellen White, a trainee who teaches at Rwamagana Islamic School, said the new curricula will be easy to adapt and embrace since it emphasizes and enhances learners’ participation unlike the old one where the teacher was the fulcrum of learning.

The new curriculum was officially launched in April 2015. It is supposed to get implemented from the beginning of the first term of this year.

{Workforce Development Authority (WDA) will be organizing trainings for university graduates in Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centers (IPRC) across the country to build their vocational knowledge that can be applied in relation to their areas of study.}

Recent surveys indicate that 13.5% of university graduates are jobless and some institutions offering jobs say that many of them lack skills to fit in the job market.

Nzabandora Abdalah, the coordinator of National Employment Program says that those who graduate without capacity to put in practice what they learnt fail to compete on the labor market and so will be retooled during a four-month training to explore how they can overcome such hurdles.

Talking to IGIHE, Nzabandora said; “There are some courses of which graduates fail to work rightly for lack of skills. We are partnering with districts and IPRC’s to equip them with some vocational courses to enhance their competitiveness at the labor market.”
Nzabandora further says that the offered training will be related to labour market needs in the region where the school is located but a student can choose what he/she wants to learn in accordance with capacity.

The chair person of National Youth Council, Robert Mwesigwa says that beginning this February, there will be talks with university graduates to identify those that will attend trainings.

Nzabandora says that among the skills to be imparted are; phone repair, plumbing, photography among others.

{ Members of Mutangana cooperative have accused their leaders of misallocating their shares worth Rwf 40 million which they had collected when the cooperative fell in crisis in 2013 after the audit.
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Members say the cooperative leaders have failed to account for the money contributed over the years.

One of members said; “We used to contribute Rwf 2300 every week. Our contributions had reached millions of which the exact amount is not known.”

“They have told me that I will not get any cash from my contributed Rwf 120,000 except getting a soda,” said another member.

Kayitesi Antoinette, the former leader in charge of mobilization said that the money was swindled by former cooperative leaders while other cash was lost among members to whom loans were extended but failed to pay back.

“They gave out loans to members. We had collected Rwf 40 million. The cooperative leaders were careless because they released cooperative’s cash without following the due process, “she said.

The Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA) attributed the mismanagement of fund realized in the cooperative to malpractices of its members who wanted to establish financial institutions where they offered loans which is against the law guiding cooperatives.

RCA Director of the Supervision and Audit Unit, Christine Mukakiramba said “The audit conducted proved that six people were responsible for the disappearance of Rwf 1,738,650 disappearance. Of the Rwf 27, 570, 000 given out to members as loans, only Rwf 7,202,400 has been paid back.

She further said that RCA has decided to hand the case to Police Criminal Investigation Department to investigate the matter.
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{Heads of 327 ADEPR-owned schools have convened in Muhanga to deliberate on ways of promoting education among ADEPR owned schools across the country. They have agreed to launch a fund to help the renovation of schools, build new schools at different levels, universities, among others, based on policies of ADEPR church.}

During the retreat held in Muhanga district in CEFOCA school, participants discussed leadership, systems of education, strengthening the promotion of nursery schools and vocational training schools, schools’ management based on action plan helping in assessment and launching an education fund to support ADEPR owned schools as well.

They also discussed on how to spread gospel among ADEPR schools and getting insurance for both students and teachers.

The ADEPR leader in charge of education department, Dr. Ngezahayo Jean said that ADEPR has 102 nursery schools, 156 primary schools, 58 secondary schools, 5 schools offering bible trainings and 6 vocational training schools adding that they intend to improve the quality of education.

The general secretary of ADEPR, Rev. Sengabo Leonard lauded all school heads for the year 2015 achievements and requested them to play their role in promoting quality education where students’ success must go hand in hand with discipline.

Mutuyemaliya Christine, ADEPR secretary in charge of finance has encouraged school heads to join efforts to start the education fund which will help to construct and renovate schools and buy school materials as well.

School heads have agreed to launch the education fund to which they will make an annual contribution to be used to build a university.

{The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) has called upon parents to maximize benefits of the 112 built classrooms for children from Mahama refugee camp and surrounding neighborhoods. }

Launching the classrooms yesterday in Mahama sector, Kirehe district, the Minister of Disaster and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR), Séraphine Mukantabana, advised children to make a good use of knowledge they will acquire from school and to be keen on academics since it gives them hope towards improved welfare.

Olivier Rwamukwaya, the state minister of primary and secondary schools called on parents to give education its worth value.

“I call upon parents to send your children to school. Pupils must be committed to their studies and gain knowledge that will help their families,” he said.

Rwamukwaya further requested them to involve in maintenance of school facilities and plant trees for buildings and protection and environmental conservation.

The classrooms were constructed with the support of ADRA Rwanda, costing Rwf918,400,000 and will accommodate over 11,000 students including 9,072 students from, Mahama camp and 2554 who previously studied at the same place where new classrooms are built, catering for learners from primary school up to senior six.

{Results of primary national examinations show that girls have performed better where the former scored 54% and boys 45.33%, while in ordinary level exams girls that passed were at 51.70% leaving 48.30% for boys.}

A good 84.82% of pupils that sat for primary six exams passed well while 87.24 ordinary level candidates showed a good performance.

The ministry of education says that last year some students who registered for exams didn’t sit for them. Primary schools realized 4.5% of absence while 2% missed in ordinary levels.

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Among 160, 357 students who registered for national exams in 2015, 71 998 were boys and 88 355 girls.

“A total of 136 007 registered candidates have passed successfully. This number equivalent of 84.82 % of candidates. The success has increased compared to last year since in 2014 the success was 84.5% of candidates,” said Olivier Rwamukwaya, the permanent secretary of MINEDUC.

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The ministry of education says that there is a great improvement since pass rate reached 87.24 % compared to 86.56% in 2014.

At ordinary level, 74 036 students passed; 38 277 girls (51.70 %) and 35 759 boys (48.30%).

{The Minister of State in Charge of Primary and Secondary Education , Rwamukwaya Olivier has revealed that the ministry of education will redirect the funds formerly used to build students’ accommodation to support nine and twelve years basic education.}

This was revealed yesterday during the official launch of the girls’ accommodation built at Lycée Notre Dame de Citeaux (LNDC) built in collaboration with the school parents and other sponsors.

“The good structure is a result of parents and school collaboration. Other schools should emulate the same other than relying upon aid,” he said adding; “We are planning to divert the funds of building accommodations to look for basic materials needed in nine and twelve years basic education with such gaps as laboratories and their equipments and other needs.”

The headmaster of Lycée Notre Dame de Citeaux, Sr Hélène Nayituriki said that the construction which took six months is the result of parents’ efforts in collaboration with the school. She promised that the hostel will reduce the number of students living out of school especially those whose families are far away from school.

One of students at the school said that the boarding facility will save them time since it would cost them a long time to reach the school or their homes which jeopardized their education.

Lycée Notre Dame de Citeaux was opened in 1952 by nuns under the congregation of Bernadine Sisters. Currently it has a total enrollment of 800 students of whom only 446 were accomodated.

The new building has the capacity to accommodate 336 students.