{"id":1457,"date":"2020-12-27T07:23:56","date_gmt":"2020-12-27T07:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/?p=1457"},"modified":"2022-01-03T07:27:04","modified_gmt":"2022-01-03T07:27:04","slug":"rwanda-marrying-pragmatism-with-values-in-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/1457\/rwanda-marrying-pragmatism-with-values-in-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda: Marrying pragmatism with values in education"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0New African<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rwanda has been one of the star performers across development indicators over the past two decades. Central to achieving its goals is having a productive and educated workforce. But this, as Education Minister\u00a0Dr Valentine Uwamariya\u00a0tells\u00a0New African, this will require heavy investment in both hard and soft infrastructure.<\/em><\/p>\n

Most visitors to Rwanda are pleasantly surprised by the country\u2019s efficiency. Things work. Yet at the same time you are reminded that only 26 years ago, a horrific genocide devastated virtually everything and flattened almost all institutions, including schools.<\/p>\n

Rebuilding the country from scratch has been, unarguably, an impressive undertaking. It has averaged economic growth of around 8% over the past decade and a half and it has Africa\u2019s highest ranking in the World Bank\u2019s Ease of Doing Business Index.<\/p>\n

The capital, Kigali is amongst the cleanest and safest cities in the world. Before the pandemic, it was also one of the favourite conference destinations in Africa \u2013 with world class facilities. It has also positioned itself as a technological hub. It is also emerging as an important manufacturing base and has plans to become the region\u2019s financial centre.<\/p>\n

Rwanda, a small country with a dense population, has few if any natural resources and is landlocked. To succeed, it has adopted a knowledge and service based approach \u2013 mirroring Singapore, the dynamic island nation which has become one of the world\u2019s wealthiest and on which Rwanda has been modelling itself.<\/p>\n

Singapore\u2019s extraordinary success is based on a shrewd exploitation of its geographical position on one of the world\u2019s busiest shipping routes but mainly on the highly educated quality of its workforce.<\/p>\n

Therefore, one of the priorities of the administration set up by President Paul Kagame has been on ramping up access to education up and down the country. But given the utter destruction of the system during the genocide and a shortage of resources, ranging from budgetary finance to physical infrastructure to teaching staff\u00a0and materials, the country faces many hurdles in its quest for universal education.<\/p>\n

An impressive record of achievement<\/strong><\/p>\n

Education Minister Dr Valentine Uwa\u00admar\u00adiya does not mince her words: \u201cWe have challenges at all levels of education, not only at primary, but also secondary and tertiary education levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, while she acknowledges the challenges, she sees the solutions as opportunities that will help to enhance and transform the education system.<\/p>\n

Since 2012, education to grade 12, (senior secondary level) has been free of charge and schooling to grade 9 is compulsory. Interestingly, Rwanda has one of the highest elementary school enrolment rates in Africa. Free elementary education was introduced\u00a0\u00a0in 2003 and according to a World Bank report the primary gross enrolment ratio (GER) stood at over 100% by 2013 (GER can exceed 100% because older children may also be enrolled).<\/p>\n

\u201cBy 2017, practically all primary and secondary schools had toilets, nearly 60% had tap water, and hydroelectric supply is available in more than 55% of primary schools and in more than 70% of secondary schools,\u201d adds the same report, issued in 2018. \u201cComputers are available in nearly 70% of the primary schools and 85% of secondary schools. The Internet is accessible in 25% of primary, and in more than 40% of secondary schools.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2012 the country won the prestigious Commonwealth Education Good Practice Award following the construction of more than 8,600 classrooms in\u00a02009 -11.<\/p>\n

Despite fiscal constraints, the expansion of education facilities has continued. Dr Uwamariya says in excess of 22,500 new classrooms are being added to the total and there is a massive teacher training and recruitment drive.<\/p>\n

The Ministry of Education has an agreement with Microsoft on various education products that will provide the Windows system at affordable cost for students. At higher education level, the partnership will leverage Microsoft products to enhance their practical skills.<\/p>\n

The government has also raised its education budget to 15% \u2013 one of the highest in Africa \u2013 and Dr Uwamariya\u00a0\u00a0says the target is to gradually increase this to 20% by the end of the current five-year education plan in 2024.<\/p>\n

Despite these impressive achievements, problems remain, says the minister. As in many countries with large rural populations, enrolment and attendance at schools can be patchy. To counter this, the ministry goes on campaigns to explain the benefits of sending children to pre-school from the age of three; and it is now highly encouraged that a child is enrolled one year before entering primary school. \u201cThis involves a lot of dialogue and sensitisation at a district level to change mindsets\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Education is under the management of local government. The ministry coordinates the planning and curriculum, and works with the district authorities to overcome the gaps, she explains. A lot of it is about persuading parents of the value of education.<\/p>\n

Another big focus is to ensure that children are not only attending school but that their attainment levels are adequate. There are still far too many children who have to repeat a year or drop out, she explains, so the ministry has introduced remedial and catch-up programmes for those with difficulties.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have put in place a system of continuous assessment to identify early those that are falling behind. People dropping out of school is government\u2019s problem and the buck stops with my ministry,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Covid-19 disruptions<\/strong><\/p>\n

As elsewhere, the Covid-19 pandemic has severely disrupted the education system. Schools were closed for eight months, she says. Other issues have also arisen because of the collateral impact of Covid. For example, teenage pregnancies have also compounded problems around some students not being able to pursue their studies as a result.<\/p>\n

However, on the plus side, the lockdowns have shown the value of digital connectivity, which has now become an important mode of teaching.<\/p>\n

Schools reopened in October and Dr Uwamariya says that they are back to 95% attendance. A countrywide campaign is under way to make sure the remaining 5% get back to school.<\/p>\n

The ministry has put into place a catch-up plan to ensure that whatever teaching of the curriculum was missed during the closure is covered. \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been easy,\u201d she admits, \u201cbecause but it\u2019s a lot of added pressure on teachers but we are confident that by the end of the academic year, any shortfalls in learning caused by Covid will have been made up.<\/p>\n

The government, she adds, has budgeted for a 10% increase in teacher salaries this year and a further 10% next year. This is partly to elevate the position of teachers in society and partly to ensure they are properly remunerated.<\/p>\n

But the biggest shift is possibly around what is being taught and how things are taught.<\/p>\n

There is greater focus on continual\u00a0competency-based assessment\u00a0to foster critical thinking and minimise rote learning. The emphasis is on the individual student\u2019s strengths and on more practical knowledge. Time for extra-curricular activities is factored into the system.<\/p>\n

Rwanda\u2019s development strategy places emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and adds vocational and technical training to turn the country into a sophisticated knowledge-based economy.<\/p>\n

Dr Uwamariya says the government consulted\u00a0\u00a0and worked with the private sector to understand their needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe conducted a market survey and involved the private sector before developing the curriculum,\u201d she adds. \u201cNot only that, even when we assess children, we involve the private sector and ensure that what we are training and the way we are training is what is needed in the market.\u201d<\/p>\n

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is provided by technical secondary schools and vocational training centres at the secondary level, as well as by polytechnics at the post-secondary level.<\/p>\n

There are also different types of practically oriented, competency-based certificate programmes offered by vocational training centres that are designed to prepare students for direct entry into the labour force.<\/p>\n

Collaborating for success<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr Uwamariya herself studied biochemistry at undergraduate level before doing a PhD in chemistry. At the time, many of the professors teaching at the university were actually from the DRC. Because she was a strong performer, she was encouraged to join the teaching staff at the university. However, she adds that she went into academia because there weren\u2019t many opportunities in industry in her particular field.<\/p>\n

Are STEM subjects more popular now than when she was student? \u201cIt\u2019s still difficult to convince girls to study STEM subjects. I was inspired by my uncle \u2013 with whom I was staying as a young child \u2013 who was himself a teacher and he would take me with him to school. But we\u2019re working at all levels to encourage more girls to study STEM.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rwanda\u2019s tertiary education sector is still relatively small. Between 1963, when the National University of Rwanda was founded, and 1994 there were only 2,000 graduates. Today there are around 27 higher education institutes with a total enrolment of slightly more than\u00a089,000 students.<\/p>\n

If she had to select the one aspect that she feels her ministry has got just right, what would it be?<\/p>\n

\u201cUndoubtedly,\u201d she says, \u201cit\u2019s being pragmatic. All of us take a very pragmatic approach to solving problems. That means that we engage with a wide range of partners. If they\u2019ve got something to offer, we will work with them. We don\u2019t close any doors.\u201d<\/p>\n

This collaborative and pro-active approach is typical of all the country\u2019s ministries, she says. \u201cAs long as they\u2019re aligned with the country\u2019s development interests, they will work with external parties and partners, and will encourage collaborations and feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n

I raise with her the issues of values. Since the genocide the country has insisted on developing a common identity \u2013 being Rwandese first \u2013 and has put in place activities that help build that notion of collective responsibility, such as the\u00a0Umuganda\u00a0practice, wherein on the last Saturday of the month communities get together to clean up in front of their houses, and thus look after their neighbourhood and their resources.<\/p>\n

Dr Uwamariya says that Umuganda is an example of self-reliance and self-dignity. \u201cOur overall education policy, which we are updating this year, is anchored around numerous Rwandese values. This new policy is based on producing men and women with the necessary and sufficient knowledge, skills, competence\u00a0and\u00a0values.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rwanda has been one of the star performers across development indicators over the past two decades. Central to achieving its goals is having a productive and educated workforce. But this, as Education Minister Dr Valentine Uwamariya tells New African, this will require heavy investment in both hard and soft infrastructure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"0","show_post_related":"0","show_inline_post_related":"0"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":""},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":""},"jnews_social_meta":{"fb_title":"","fb_description":"","fb_image":"","twitter_title":"","twitter_description":"","twitter_image":""},"jnews_override_counter":{"override_view_counter":"0","view_counter_number":"0","override_share_counter":"0","share_counter_number":"0","override_like_counter":"0","like_counter_number":"0","override_dislike_counter":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,3],"tags":[139,140],"class_list":["post-1457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-east-africa","category-interview","tag-education-in-rwanda","tag-rwanda"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1457\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}