Plan International Rwanda has inaugurated a fully furnished school worth Rwf362m constructed to support the government’s initiative of 12 Years Basic Education (12YBE), in Bugesera District.

The school, handed over to the district on Thursday, was constructed in Kanazi Cell, Nyamata Sector to help increase access to upper secondary education in the area.

"We are proud to see the completion of this project that will see many more vulnerable children access quality education,” Peter van Dommelen, Plan International Rwanda country director, said.

Louis Rwagaju, Bugesera District mayor, urged residents to safeguard the school.

"This is a result of a strong partnership between Bugesera District and Plan International Rwanda. We are proud to have the first school of excellence in Bugesera,” he said.

The school is part of Plan International Rwanda’s Right to Access Quality and Inclusive Education Country Programme, which seeks to provide quality primary and secondary education to children in the district.

The school will help reduce  the distance covered by many students to access education.

It will also offer accommodation facilities for the most vulnerable students (children with disabilities, those from disadvantaged families, including child headed households among others) which has been a serious challenge and had consequently forced some students to drop out of school, according to officials.

The school will have high school grades four, five and six gradually. More than 500 students are expected to benefit from the school directly after its opening in January 2015.

Partnership between Bugesera District and Plan Rwanda will continue in terms of support to school initiatives like School Improvement Planning towards attaining quality and inclusive education, officials said.

The school was constructed with financial support from Operation Day’s work,  a youth organisation in Norway.

The school has 12 classrooms, an administrative building, library, teachers staff room and multipurpose hall, among others.

Plan Rwanda also supplied the school with textbooks for curriculum subjects at Upper secondary section, classroom desks and office and library tables and shelves among others.