Training National Trainers

On the 8th and 9th of April a group of 60 National Teacher Trainers were brought together in Kanombe, Kigali from Rwanda and anglophone Uganda by the Ministry of Education (Mineduc) for a two day training workshop. The training was jointly run by the Ministry and IEE and was led by Meredith Pike-Baky who also led and designed the curriculum for our Teacher Training Program (TTP) at Kagugu P.S.


The two full days of workshops were meant to prepare the National Trainers for the following week where they would disperse across the country to train 3,000 District Teacher Trainers in five-day workshops.

The focus of this workshop was on learner-centered methodologies and building English skills. We taught lessons which had been piloted in the 5-week TTP at Kagugu which brought together 130 primary school teachers from six schools in three districts.

There was a real spirit and sense of collaboration and togetherness at Kanombe for these training workshops. This group of 60 National Trainers had met once before when they attended a similar training session in November and they will be brought together once again in July for further training. These trainers were chosen primarily for their English speaking abilities and will lead the transition from French to English as the language of instruction in Rwandan primary schools. We could all feel the excitement and sense of camaraderie as they sang English songs in unison. Every class began with a song to have the trainers physically and mentally engaged and warmed up for the class to begin. On the first class on the first day, the trainers were excited but hesitant and a bit unsure of the words and moves. By the end of the workshop all 60 trainers were stomping, clapping, and singing in unison which was followed by big smiles, a loud applause, and many happy handshakes.



Each trainer was proud to accept their IEE-Mineduc certificates upon completing the workshop. These trainers should be proud. They are leading the way in pushing Rwanda's education system forward and with it the development of the entire country. The task is big and the responsibility is even bigger but these 60 National Trainers seem ready and willing to take on the challenge and IEE is equally ready to support them in their mission.

The Last TTP Workshop (for now!)

I arrived back in Rwanda on April 1st, about 7 months after I left in September and 3 days before the Teacher Training Program (TTP) taking place at Kagugu P.S. that I had been hearing so much about would be coming to a close. Walking into Kagugu and seeing all the teachers again was an amazing experience, it was like greeting long time friends who I hadn't seen in years. Since I was last there in September, the school had added on secondary level classes, new teachers, and was starting a garden around the library, but it still had its same charm and a sense of excitement and enthusiasm continues to linger in the walls of Kagugu Primary School.

On Saturday, April 4th, I was lucky enough to attend the final TTP Workshop. This was the last in a series of 5 weekly workshops which brought together 130 teachers from 6 schools across 3 districts. It was incredible to see the change in the teachers since I last saw them. The teachers were excited about the workshops and trying to use English as much as possible, they would no longer shy away from trying. It is inspiring to see such willingness to try and I know from experience that it isn't easy to put yourself out there and be willing to make mistakes in an unfamiliar language.

More than anything, it was fun watching the creativity of the teachers and the teacher trianers at work. These particular trainings were aimed at transorming the way Rwandans learn in the classroom by getting students actively engaged in the learning process and developing critical thinking skills. In the classes I visited I saw teachers creating elaborate drawings from doodles as well as writing stories and letters of advice to imaginary characters. The Kagugu classrooms were buzzing with creativity and all of the teachers were engaged and ready to participate.

The day ended with a closing ceremony to celebrate all that the teachers had accomplished in the past few weeks. The most amazing part of the ceremony was that the entire ceremony was conducted in English. Every teacher received certificates and speeches were made by Savannah, teacher trainers Meredith and Jean-Providence, Local Government Officials, and the headmasters of each primary school involved. It really was exciting to be involved in this final workshop and incredible to see the progress that has been made since I was last here. Here at IEE though we know that there may have been a closing ceremony but this is not the end of the TTP by any means. This really just marked the beginning of what we hope will be a long-standing relationship with primary school teachers. We look forward to continuing to work with teachers to improve the quality of education in Rwanda's primary schools.

-- Carly