IGIHE

Category: Education

  • South African university students charged with violence

    South African university students charged with violence

    south_african_students_revolt.jpg
    Twenty-nine South Africans have been charged with public violence amid the biggest student protests to hit the country since apartheid ended in 1994.

    Police again fired stun grenades to disperse students in Cape Town, a day after protesters stormed the parliamentary complex.

    Thousands also descended on the governing party’s headquarters in the main city, Johannesburg.

    The students are angry with a proposed increase in tuition fees.

    Africa Live: BBC news updates

    The demonstrations began last week at Johannesburg’s prestigious University of the Witwatersrand, and have since spread to at least 10 universities, forcing the closure of many of them.

    On at least two occasions, police foiled attempts by the protesters to reach the headquarters of the governing African National Congress (ANC), pushing them back to their campuses. But the students regrouped and finally reached the building, named Luthuli House after South Africa’s first Nobel Peace Prize laureate Albert Luthuli.

    The students sang and chanted anti-apartheid songs, invoking memories of the decades-long campaign which led to the overthrow of the apartheid regime in 1994.

    The ANC pulled out its election truck and seemed to be wiring a loud speaker, but the students refused to let the party’s secretary-general Gwede Mantashe address them.
    Instead, they gave him a memorandum outlining their demands.

    “The honeymoon of 1994 – when we were told that we were free – is over,” a student leader said in his address to the protesters.

    Students said they would march on Friday to government buildings in the capital, Pretoria, to coincide with President Jacob Zuma’s plan to meet protest leaders to discuss their grievances.

    The mainly black students say they cannot afford fee increases and have rejected a government offer to cap increases at 6%, down from the 10% to 12% proposed by the management of universities.

    The 29 people who appeared in court in Cape Town were not asked to plead.
    The accused have been released from police custody, and the case postponed to February.

    Those charged include the 63-year-old parent of a student at the University of Cape Town, the privately owned News24 site reports.

    It published what was purportedly an official document, showing “high treason” was among the alleged offences for which he had been detained. However, the charge was not mentioned in court.

    Correspondents say the protests show growing disillusionment with the ANC, which took power after minority rule ended in 1994, over high levels of poverty, unemployment and corruption in government.

    Many black students say they come from poor families, and fee increases will rob them of the opportunity to continue studying.

    Financially better-off white students have joined the protest, mainly to show solidarity with the black students.

    In a statement, Mr Zuma said: “It is important that we work together to find solutions. Nobody disagrees with the message that students from poor households are facing financial difficulties and possible exclusion.”

    Correspondents say his intervention shows how seriously he is taking the protests.
    Students are also demanding the resignation of Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, who said on Monday that the protests were not a national crisis.

    BBC

  • South African police fire teargas at students in university fees protest

    South African police fire teargas at students in university fees protest

    south_africa_protesters.jpg
    At least one student injured and several detained after Cape Town protest over proposed fees rise during budget speech

    Riot police in South Africa have fired teargas and stun grenades at hundreds of students who stormed the parliament precinct in Cape Town in protest at a proposed increase in university fees.

    Police repeatedly attempted to disperse the students from the steps of the national assembly, with limited success, as the protesters tried to stage a sit-in to disrupt a mid-term budget speech being delivered by the finance minister, Nhlanhla Nene. At least one student was injured, and several students have been detained.

    “We were pushed back by police with force. The stun grenade was shot right next to my ear. I still have the buzzing in my ear,” said Motheo Lengoasa, a student at the University of Cape Town, as others chanted and sang songs demanding the fees be reduced.

    Earlier students lay prostate on the ground in front of the entrance to the assembly building where Nene was speaking.

    “This looks like 1976 all over again,” Lengoasa said, referring to the Soweto uprising where police killed at least 69 students who were protesting against plans to teach them in Afrikaans.

    Many of South Africa’s universities have been hit by protests, some of them violent, by students demanding that the increase in tuition fees by as much as 11% be scrapped. Protests have taken place across the country, including in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom and Grahamstown.

    The demonstrations began last week at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg. Critics say the fee increase will further disadvantage black students, who are already relatively underrepresented.

    The protesters have rejected a proposal from some student leaders, university dons and the higher education minister, Blade Nzimande, to cap fee increases at 6% for 2016, just above inflation.

    University bosses said the increases were needed to maintain standards, and called on the government to find the extra funding.

    As chaos erupted around the parliament building, Nene, standing calmly at the podium inside the chamber, continued to read his speech, in which he outlined the gloomy outlook for Africa’s most advanced economy. He criticised the protests, but said efforts were being made to find solutions.

    “We have been reminded this past week of the challenges of financing the expansion of further education and university opportunities,” he said. “It needs to be said that disruption of learning is not constructive, neither is disruption of parliament, but minister Nzimande has rightly indicated the need to strengthen student financing further, and to find solutions where the current situation is inadequate, and government is seized with this matter.”

    The president, Jacob Zuma, who wore a stony expression through Nene’s speech, has not commented on the protests.

    MPs belonging to the opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were ejected after they tried to prevent Nene from delivering his budget speech, which was delayed by an hour. After the speech, other MPs were advised to remain in their offices until security had been restored in parliament.

    At parliament, students demanded to be addressed by Nzimande, who is also the head of the South African Communist party.

    Eventually, Nzimande agreed, speaking through a loudspeaker from behind a security fence, but his words were inaudible above the booing.

    University fees currently vary between institutions. In Johannesburg, Wits student leader Mcebo Dlamini told the Guardian that students – and especially black students – face a struggle to enter university, and do not have the money to pay for fee rises.

    He said: “The reality of the matter is that in the country post-independence the black students have still been oppressed, we’re still marginalised, we struggle to get into universities … But we still get those distinctions and compete with those model C schools, the former apartheid schools.

    “Now we are here, government and the universities are sidelining us,” he added, leading a 1,000-strong march through the city centre. “We are poor … We are calling for free education in our lifetime. Germany did it – we can do it.”

    The Guardian

  • South Africa tuition fee protests: Students arrested in Cape Town

    South Africa tuition fee protests: Students arrested in Cape Town

    Police have arrested more than 20 students at a leading South African university, the public broadcaster reports, as protests against a proposed rise in tuition fees spread.

    The arrests came after students defied a court order obtained by the University of Cape Town (UCT), declaring their action unlawful.

    The protests have spread to at least six universities.

    It is the biggest action by students since apartheid ended in 1994.

    The students, most of whom are black, say they cannot afford a proposed rise in tuition fees of between 10% and 12%, roughly twice the rate of annual inflation.

    They also say it amounts to discrimination in a country where the average income of black families is far less than that of white families.

    The demonstrators include medical students marching with stethoscopes around their necks, and singing freedom songs which inspired people to fight the former apartheid regime.
    students_protests.jpg

    The protest started at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg last week, before spreading to UCT, Rhodes, Stellenbosch, Fort Hare and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

    Some of them have been forced to shut down, as students burnt barricades and stormed buildings.

    At UCT, police fired stun grenades to disperse protesters who defied a court order preventing the disruption of lectures, the public broadcaster, SABC reports.

    The protest at Wits university has continued, despite its management agreeing to suspend the increase in fees until talks place.

    Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande is now meeting university officials to find a solution.

    Universities should show “greater caution and sensitivity” when setting fees in order to “minimise the detrimental impact on poor students”, he said on Monday.

  • Ministry approves University of Kigali’s Musanze campus

    Ministry approves University of Kigali’s Musanze campus

    The Ministry of Education has approved the opening of the University of Kigali Musanze campus after an assessment exercise by the Higher Education Council.
    The audit, conducted between September 7 and 9, also authorized the university to start three new academic programmes; Post-Graduate Diploma in Education, Bachelor of Early Childhood Development Education, and Masters of Education Management and Administration.

    Briefing the media in Kigali, yesterday, Prof. Siraje Kaaya, the vice-chancellor, said the ministry’s green light heralds a new beginning for the private institution in its quest to contribute toward the development of the nation through education.
    His comments were echoed by Philbert Afrika, the chair of university board of directors, who said the endorsement puts them in position to continue providing high quality education to their students so that they can contribute to the development of the country.

    “We are almost making two years of existence, but we are determined to give the best and we undertake this commitment with a lot of pleasure,” said Afrika.
    University of Kigali has experienced rapid growth in enrolment to nearly 4,000 students in the undergraduate programmes and more than 150 students in the post-graduate programmes – since it opened its doors to admission in October 2013 with 649 students.

    Last month’s intake alone saw about 800 students admitted.
    However, this comes with increased pressure of accommodating the big enrolment yet the institution is still renting various premises within the City of Kigali.
    Afrika said the university has already secured a plot of land in Kicukiro District and a permanent home will be ready by end of 2016.
    “The envisaged home of University of Kigali will accommodate up to 7,000 students,” said Afrika.

  • African ministers renew pledge to promote vocational education

    African ministers renew pledge to promote vocational education

    Educationists from across the continent have committed to engage private sector players in skills development, more specifically in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

    Speaking at a TVET conference in Kigali, yesterday, Education minister Papias Malimba Musafiri said integrating private companies in TVET will promote youth employment.

    “We want to promote public and private partnerships for TVET to respond to market needs. We need good policies and strategies that encourage investment in skills development. Engaging the private sector in TVET will equip graduates with relevant skills for employment,” he said.

    Musafiri said expanding TVET will lead to economic growth and bring innovative solutions to various challenges in the country.The African Ministerial Conference on Technical and Vocational Skills Development (TVSD) attracted about 100 participants from across the continent and beyond, including ministers in charge of TVET and representatives of the sector stakeholders.

    Organised under the theme, “Promoting investment in skills and competencies acquisition by trainers and entrepreneurs in African countries,” the conference sought to create conducive conditions for TVET trainees to easily integrate employment skills into their trades, enabling them to significantly contribute to the national socio-economic development.

    Oley Dibba Wadda, the executive secretary of Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), said prioritising TVET in African education will bridge the skills gap that the continent is facing.

    “The 2012 ADEA meeting, held in Burkina Faso, found that the continent faces a skills gap, resulting into high youth unemployment levels and cross-border migration. In this regard, we are looking at technical, critical and cognitive skills to solve the problem across the continent and that has set us on the right track towards boosting employability,” the Ivorian said.
    Thorough transition

    Wadda said the continent needs a thorough transition from traditionally colonial education to Africa-initiated education, which responds to needs of the continent.

    “We have realised that technical and vocational skills are the key to the continent’s development but in some ways, colonial ways of teaching did not resonate with the reality and needs of the continent. Now there is a need to promote skills which are relevant to the continent,” she said.

    “It is, therefore, important that governments and partners sit together and discuss how to address the challenges in the continent and find solutions which fit with each country’s context.”

    Wadda noted that all TVET actors need most importantly to work on people’s mindset towards TVET.

    “Some people think that TVET is for school dropouts and academic failures. It is important that we start shifting that thinking and make sure we value this sector because it is so crucial to African economies,” she said.
    Ministers on private sector

    Ministers in charge of TVET from various countries including Ivory Coast, Angola, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Niger, Liberia and Botswana, stressed the need for private companies’ engagement in TVET, saying governments alone cannot afford the sector’s cost.

    “African economies have been growing but unemployment persists because of lack of skills and TVET is the solution. However, TVET is so capital intensive by nature that private sector engagement is needed to promote the sector. The long-neglect of TVET in African education has resulted into inadequate qualified human resource but this is the time to increase TVET pathways,” Kenneth Kgotla Autlwetse, the Motswana assistant minister for education and skills development, said.

    Saku Siryon Dukuly, the Liberian assistant minister for TVET, said the entire continent should include adults and school leavers in TVET but insisted on involving enterprises, saying this education system is expensive.
    Albert Nsengiyumva, Rwanda’s minister of state in charge of TVET, said the government has committed to partner with private companies in increasing the number and competencies of TVET graduates.

    “We currently have over 94,000 in TVET schools, reflecting 40 per cent of all students but we want to the number to increase to 60 per cent by 2020. We are much concerned with the quality of trainers and the diversity of trades to meet the market needs. This is a big task which requires concerted efforts and, in this regard, we are encouraging investing in TVET,” he said.

    Nsengiyumva said they are planning to integrate the unemployed university graduates in TVET to increase their chances to get employment.

    Addressing the international TVET symposium, on Wednesday, Arnout Pauwels, the Belgian ambassador to Rwanda, said governments should work closely with private companies on TVET internships and called for concrete measures to ensure that both the companies and students benefit.

    The NewTimes

  • Integrate TVET skills into school curriculum – experts

    Integrate TVET skills into school curriculum – experts

    There is need to integrate Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) skills into conventional school curricula from primary to university level so that whatever level of education one reaches, they have some hands-on skills they can rely on to eke a living.

    Speaking at the opening of an international TVET symposium in Kigali, yesterday, key actors in TVET from around the world were urged to recommit to the sector and consider market-oriented skills to boost youth employment.

    James Mugerwa, the assistant commissioner for vocational studies at the Ugandan Ministry of Education, urged regional governments to allocate a proper budget to TVET development initiatives.

    “Vocational education has been marginalised in the entire East African region. The budget allocation has not been considering TVET; funding is required to acquire training equipment and build infrastructure and capacity of educationists,” he said.

    Mugerwa said during their visit to different TVET schools in Southern Province, on Monday, he observed the problem of equipment in many workshops yet TVET relies heavily on practical learning.

    “Governments should ensure that TVET skills are integrated in curricula from primary to university level so that regardless of the level of education attained, a student will always have some TVET skills to put to good use,” he said.

    While opening the symposium, the Minister of State for TVET, Albert Nsengiyumva, said TVET has uplifted employment rate in the country since 2011 and called for concerted efforts toward more achievements.

    Under the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy, government targets to create 200,000 off-farm jobs annually.

    “This is only possible if all actors, including government and partners, recommit to empower graduates with hands-on skills as TVET is mainly about practice,” he said.

    The Rwanda Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey 2015, released last month, indicated that at least 146,000 off-farm jobs were created in Rwanda every year over a period of three years since 2011.

    Nsengiyumva said while the government is focusing on building capacity of educators, modern training equipment are also paramount for TVET success.

    “A competent teacher is required but efficient workshop is paramount. Training materials still pose a challenge but we are gradually empowering teachers and equipping them with efficient materials,” he said.

    The international TVET symposium, organised under the theme, “Learn from experience: Best practices from the field,” attracted over 100 participants, including government and private sector officials, development partners, TVET teachers and students.

    Private sector’s role

    The symposium seeks to provide participants with a platform to share experiences from the field with a special emphasis on the involvement of private companies in TVET.

    Nsengiyumva said although government encourages investment in TVET, it is strict on the quality of education that any school that does not meet the standards is closed down.

    Last month, seven TVET schools in Southern Province were served with notice of closure over poor performance.

    Nsengimana said the country targets to have 60 per cent of all students in TVET by 2020.

    Anne-Pierre Mingelbier, the programme officer of the Belgian common TVET support programme at Belgian Development Agency, commended the government’s commitment to TVET, noting that the involvement of private sector in TVET was crucial to the development of the sector.

    “TVET schools are empowering Rwandans with skills needed at the labour market and it is important for Rwanda to continue to develop this sector by linking public and private sectors because private sector is the leading force for the development of the country,” she said.

    Mingelbier said the symposium should create the momentum, encourage better coordination among all the actors and encourage each one to eagerly play their part for the development of TVET and the country at large.

    “Good plans are required to reinforce TVET at all levels to create linkages between IPRCs and districts, encouraging local authorities to consider TVET in their plans,” she said.

    The symposium is a prelude to African Ministerial TVET Conference scheduled for tomorrow to conclude the ‘TVET Week’ that started on October 2.

    The NewTimes

  • Government commits to improve teachers welfare

    Government commits to improve teachers welfare

    The Ministry of Education has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improve the welfare of teachers.

    The State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Olivier Rwamukwaya, in a message ahead of today’s World Teachers’ Day celebrations, said besides training, the government is mindful of teachers’ other broader needs.

    Rwamukwaya stressed the need for quality education as a cornerstone to sustainable development.

    The role of the teacher is indispensable in the education of the young generation who are the future leaders of this country, but quality education requires collaboration between all stakeholders, he said.

    The minister outlined several steps that government would take to continue empowering teachers.

    These include awarding outstanding teachers through a programme, ‘Girinka Mwalimu’, facilitating teachers to buy computers through teachers’ Savings and Credit Co-operatives (Umwalimu SACCO), and support to SACCOs to ease teachers’ access to credit to attend to their broader needs such as housing, education and investment in personal development projects, among others.

    “To continuously improve the social welfare of teachers, government will continue to strengthen the existing policies while thinking of others that would help uplift teachers,” the minister said in a statement.

    Minister Rwamukwaya also pledged to maintain capacity building programmes through different in-service trainings and refresher courses.

    The ministry, he said, would continuously support teacher training programmes, particularly in English and nursery teaching.

    Meanwhile, Rwamukwaya called on parents not to leave their role of parenting and other responsibilities to teachers.

    “It’s crucial for the parent to provide all the scholastic materials for the child, encourage the child to revise their books and do home work. Also remember to sit down with the teacher so as to understand the daily life and behaviors of the student at school; this would lead to good academic performance and quality education,” he said.

    The United Nations World Teachers’ Day falls on October 5 to celebrate the role of teachers in providing quality education at all levels.

    “Empowering teachers, building sustainable societies” is the World Teachers’ Day slogan for 2015.

    It is recognised that teachers are not only a means to implementing education goals; they are the key to sustainability and national capacity in achieving learning and creating societies based on knowledge, values and ethics.

    Minister Rwamukwaya said government remains committed to do its best to make teaching a dignified profession in society.

    The NewTimes

  • Celebrating the Post-Graduate Diploma Course in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine

    Celebrating the Post-Graduate Diploma Course in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine

    Kigali, Rwanda (September 2015) — The University of Rwanda College of Medicine and Health Sciences (UR/CMHS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Systems Improvement at District Hospitals and Regional Training of Emergency Care (sidHARTe) program at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, are pleased to announce the completion of the Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) Course in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine.

    An innovative program for Rwanda, the PGD in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine was launched in September of 2013 and set the PGD trainees on a revolutionary path. These pioneers boldly entered a new field of medicine for Rwanda as there was no Emergency Medicine training program in Rwanda before now. On Thursday, 30 July 2015, 8 PGD trainees celebrated the completion of the PGD requirements at a dinner event hosted at the Manor Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda.

    The Ministry of Health, represented by the Medical Personnel Planning, Research and Capacity Building Specialist, Dr. Vincent Rusanganwa, thanked the University of Rwanda, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, in collaboration with sidHARTe, for their support and implementation of the Post-Graduate Diploma in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. In addition, Dr. Rusanganwa recognised the District Hospital Medical Directors who supported the trainees to attend the two year part-time training while still fullfilling their duties as general physicians at their base hosptial.

    “I expect that this first cohort of trainees has gained the knowledge to improve the organisation of the emergency system at the health facilities. The Ministry of Health has done much in controling the infectious desease burden, however, it is still in need of skilled physicians to respond to the emergency care need. The Ministry of Health needs skilled people at the National level, Provincial Hospitals, District Hospitals, Health Centers and even at the comminity level”, said Dr. Rusanganwa.

    Dr. Rusanganwa concluded by emphasizing that Emergency Medicine is a priority of the Ministry of Health and that they will continue to support the Emergency Medicine program within Rwanda’s health sector.
    The PGD program trained General Practitioners (GPs) from 5 district and 2 tertiary hospitals in the fundamentals of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. In addition to participating in weekly lectures and simulations, students worked in the Emergency Department at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (CHUK) as a part of their training and rotated through other specialty services to increase the breadth of their education.

    The one-year course was delivered on a part-time schedule over two years allowing the PGD trainees to work at their base hospital when the course was not in session. While at their hospitals, the PGD trainees worked to revise their hospital acute care systems , improve their Emergency Wards, train nursing staff and other GPs in the areas of triage, resusictation and other acute care specific skills and strengthened hospital administrator’s focus on the acute care delivery.

    “Before the PGD training, many procedures were unclear to me and I feared how to manage cases at the District Hospital where over 70% of the deaths occur. Now, I have good training in emergency care and can perform many life saving procedures. I have even worked with my hospital administration to create an emergency room with fixed staff that I’ve helped to train and that do not rotate out” Dr. Chantal Uwamahoro, Emergency and Critical Care Resident, Gitwe District Hospital

    Emergency Physician Dr. Rachel T. Moresky, Founding Director of the sidHARTe Program at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health added that “Emergency Physicians, like a multivitamin, are a collection of all medical specialties in one physician. Emergency Physicians know how to manage the top emergencies of every medical specialization from Internal Medicine, Surgery, Anesthesia, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Cardiology, Neurology, Ophthalmology and Toxicology… to name a few. Over the last two years there are impressive examples of the PGD students working at their home hospitals and taking lifesaving leadership roles in managing road traffic mass casualty incidents, setting up successful triage, and accurately diagnosing and successfully treating or referring severe trauma patients.”

    One such example comes from Dr. Ezechiel Nteziryayo, a PGD trainee from Nemba District Hospital:
    “I was at home when my colleague called me to come help him manage many severe cases after a bus crashed with an entire wedding party on it. The initial process was to set up mass casualty triage for the patients and determine the level of severity of their injuries. Three cases were identified as having the highest level of critical injuries, with one having severe head trauma. We worked as a team with the nurses to assess and stabilize the patients by providing necessary hydration and medicines, inserting breathing tubes and giving blood transfusions to those for which it was imperative.

    Once the team stabilized the patients, they were transferred to CHUK for further treatment. During the PGD program, I learned how to perform proper triage whereas before I would only follow the order in which the patients arrived. I am thankful for the opportunity to study Emergency Medicine, “ Dr. Nteziryayo, Emergency and Critical Care Resident.

    During his time in the PGD program, trainee Dr. Gabin Mbanjumucyo, in collaboration with his collegues, established the Rwanda Emergency Care Association (RECA). RECA is an association made up of Emergency Medicine Physicians, Emergency Medicine Residents, Nurses and Pre-hospital Care Providers both local and international with active involvement in emergency care in the country.

    “RECA especially thanks the Ministry of Health, University of Rwanda and sidHARTe for introducing Emergency Medicine as a specialty in to Rwanda. With Emergency Medicine being in its infancy in Rwanda, there is a great need to consolidate every possible effort to provide better care for patients with acute illnesses or injuries that require immediate medical attention and to develop quality emergency care in the country.

    This will only be achieved by working together. This is in line with RECA’s objectives that aim to promote and improve emergency care through teaching, research and education, to promote the specialty of emergency medicine and to advocate for emergency care in Rwanda,” Dr. Mbanjumucyo, RECA president and Emergency and Critical Care Resident.

    Welcoming the Start of the First Masters of Medicine in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine

    The University of Rwanda College of Medicine and Health Sciences (UR/CMHS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the sidHARTe program at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and Brown University Department of Emergency Medicine are also pleased to announce the start of the Masters in Medicine (MMed) in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine set to start 7 September 2015.

    As the PGD served as year one of the four year Master of Medicine (MMed) in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine the PGD trainees had the opportunity to continue on to the MMed enabling them to serve as future faculty of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine for UR/CMHS should they choose. All 8 PGD trainees have applied and been accepted into the second year of the MMed and are excited to continue their training, as well as expand their leadership and advocacy efforts in the field of Emergency Medicine in Rwanda.

    In addition, a new class of 8 students will their first year of training alongside their second-year peers in September. Many students in this new class were inspired to apply for the MMed in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine after witnessing their colleagues who had completed the PGD program successfully utilize their newly acquired skills in Emergency Medicine to save patient lives at their District Hospitals.

    “The completion of the PGD course and integration of the PGD as year one of the four year MMed, represents an important milestone for the leadership of UR/CMHS and the Ministry of Health in supporting education and health systems processes for Emergency Care in Rwanda. We have been grateful for this opportunity to work with our colleagues in Rwanda, and look forward to what the future holds for this exciting endeavor,” says Dr. Moresky.

  • YALE University to empower Rwandan Students

    YALE University to empower Rwandan Students

    A team from Yale University, including staff and students, is traveling to Rwanda to deliver a 6-day residential enrichment program for high school students.

    The program, sponsored by Yale, aims to empower high performing high school students with the tools for accessing global educational opportunities, especially opportunities in the US.

    YYAS is specially designed to help students recognize and understand global issues, strategize responses, and innovate solutions while learning from Yale faculty and African undergraduate and graduate students who currently attend Yale.

    YYAS will be hosted at Riviera School from August 11-16 and includes 50 high school students from across the continent.

    There is no cost to students to participate in the program.

  • Rwanda wins a prestigious Commonwealth Education Good Practice Award

    Rwanda wins a prestigious Commonwealth Education Good Practice Award

    Rwanda won a prestigious Commonwealth Education Good Practice Award for her innovative education project ‘Supporting Teachers’ English through Mentoring (STEM)’. The award, known as the Steve Sinnott Award for Commonwealth Teachers, is a special award recognising the practice which contributes most to the professional development of teachers.

    In 2012, in Mauritius, Rwanda was the winner of the Commonwealth Good Practice Award for its Fast-tracking Access to Nine Years Basic Education Programme.

    In January 2045, the Commonwealth Secretariat received 89 submissions from 20 countries across the Commonwealth for the 2015 Good Practice Awards. Two projects from Rwanda were among the ten finalists – ‘Supporting Teachers’ English through Mentoring’ and the ‘Parents. Step In!’ initiative designed to prevent, reduce and limit school dropouts.

    The award given to Rwanda was presented by Dame Marguerite Pindling, Governor-General of the Bahamas at the opening ceremony of the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM), held in The Bahamas on Tuesday 23 June 2015. Emmanuel Muvunyi, Deputy Director General of Rwanda Education Board, received the award on behalf of the Government of Rwanda.

    The Commonwealth Good Practice Awards are held every three years to celebrate and promote new and innovative education projects. They address at least one of eight action areas which range from achieving universal primary education, eliminating gender disparities in education to mitigating the impact of HIV on education systems. The action areas align with the Commonwealth’s education priorities, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Education for All (EFA) goals. Submissions are evaluated by independent expert adjudicators on their relevance to the local context, measurable impact, sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness, community involvement, and ability to be replicated.

    The STEM project is one of the 26 pilot innovations which make up the Innovation for Education programme, a partnership between the Governments of Rwanda and the UK, funded by UKAid. The project is managed by British Council Rwanda working in conjunction with The International Education Exchange and The Association of Teachers of English in Rwanda and in close collaboration with Rwanda Education Board. The pilot project has been working in 36 schools in Nyamasheke district, Western Province. Primary school teachers in Nyamesheke are using self-study books and audio resources on mobile phones, and solar-powered audio devices, all of which are designed to develop their classroom English and teaching skills. These materials are being used by teachers individually, as well as in teacher peer support groups facilitated and supported by school-based personnel. The project involves not only teachers, but the whole school, parents and wider community.

    In 2008 Rwanda switched to English medium education from primary four. Since then, the Ministry of Education through Rwanda Education Board, has made several interventions to help teachers improve their proficiency levels including face-to-face short training courses and the School Based English Language Mentors Programme. The STEM project was implemented as a pilot between May 2013 and April 2015 and has benefitted 533 school leaders and teachers.

    Other countries recognised at the 19CCEM for education good practices are India for its ‘Design for Change’ project, South Africa for its project ‘Taking Quality Education to where it Matters through Webcasting’ and Singapore for its ‘Primary Education Review and Implementation Assessment Project’.

    The 19CCEM brings together 53 Ministers of Education, senior officials, stakeholders, teachers and youth from across the Commonwealth.