Kagame made the call on Thursday at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) held in Doha, Qatar.
The summit was organized by Education Above All (EAA), a global foundation protecting the rights of children and youth to quality education.
It brought together different participants including Rwanda’s Minister of Education, Dr. Valentine Uwamariya.
As he delivered key note address virtually, President Kagame told participants that education should be considered as a pathway to help children grow with positive mindsets.
“Access to education is critical. Education is not just about memorization. It is about equipping children with the positive mindsets,” he said.
“If we are to see tangible results and ensure that we are building an effective and productive workforce, quality should also be going hand in hand with our objectives. Our partnership with Education Above All will be a catalyst for this,” Kagame added.
The fourth pillar of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
Kagame also stated that the world cannot achieve sustainable economy without promoting education.
“Having every child educated, will attract further investments to equip our citizens with the necessary skills to compete in a global economy,” he noted.
“The Sustainable Development Goals, among them goal 4 on education, cannot be limited to wealthy countries. Otherwise, it will not be inclusive and equitable. I encourage other countries to join our efforts to ensure no child is left behind,” Kagame added.
The Head of State observed that having 98% of Rwandan children attending primary school is a great milestone noting that the remaining 2% should not be ignored to reach 100%.
Rwanda is among countries that have promoted inclusive education where education in primary and secondary schools is free.
Latest figures show that literacy rate in Rwanda stands at 73%.
During the summit, EAA launched partnerships with different governments aimed at to securing universal primary education under ‘Educate a Child’ program.
Partner governments include Djibouti, Zanzibar, Rwanda and Gambia to attain Zero Out of School Primary Children (OOSC). The focus is set to be on the most invisible such as those working inside homes, children with disabilities, and refugees.
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