Savannah- Big Year - Big Changes

2009 is a big year for Rwanda. This year significant changes are taking place in public education, and there is reason to be excited. I met with officials at the Ministry of Education yesterday and was briefed on the changes.

Beginning this year...

...public education is free for all students up to 9th grade. In Rwanda, public education for primary school (grades one through six) has been free for years. This January the Government has extended that to include the first three years of secondary school. This is one step in the process of making grades one through twelve completely free. Currently less than ten percent of primary school students continue on to secondary school because they don’t score high enough on the national exam or because they can’t afford the fees. The government has now opened the door to all students.

...the language of instruction will be English instead of French. The official languages of Rwanda are Kinyarwanda, French, and English, but the government is now focusing most heavily on English as a part of a move to be more competitive in the global economy.

...the government will begin offering vocational training in careers such as hotel management, tourism, and internet & communications technology.

These are big and exciting changes. However, the challenges are equally big. Many of the teachers who now need to teach math, science, or history in English, lack the sufficient English skills to do so. This has caused concern among many that the transition was too swift. However, the Government is not without a plan.

The Ministry of Education is currently working on a Teacher Training Program to teach both English skills and new methods of instruction. This is precisely what IEE’s partner schools have been asking of us for many months. I am thrilled that we will now be able to partner with the Government on these programs.

The Government of Rwanda is remarkable. It seems every time I think I may have uncovered a way the public education system could be improved, they are already working on it.

For months we have been investigating how we can best be a part of the amazing progress in Rwanda. In February, we will begin an exciting phase in our project- implementing our plans. There is much to be learned, and there are many challenges as we work along side the government to train eager teachers. However, I believe in the government officials, teacher trainers, and teachers who are making this happen. It has been shown to me again and again that once Rwandans decide to accomplish something, they will do the work to make it happen. I look forward to seeing what Rwandan educators can do when given the right tools.