The Kigali City Vice Mayor in charge of Finance, Economy and Development has asked Primary and Secondary schools to improve on the education and health standards of their students.

Dieudonné Rumaragishyika made the call Tuesday at Kagarama Secondary School in Kicukiro, after visiting APE Rugunga Secondary school and Biryogo Primary school in and Nyarugenge district.

Kagarama and Biryogo Primary school are public schools, while APE Rugunga is a private school. The visit was part of an ongoing visit to all schools in Kigali city in a bid to brainstorm with schools on how to improve on their infrastructure.

"In the three schools visited we have realized that they know most of these programmes (planting trees, reserving rain water and fencing schools), but have financial constraints,” Rumaragishyika said.

"But after visiting them, we brainstormed and suggest proper solutions to the problems,” he explained.

He added that schools need water reservoirs, to tap rain water, which can be used during the dry season, while others should be fenced for the purpose of students’ security.

Some other schools like Biryogo Primary school need trenches and a road that connects the school to the main road. There is also need of play grounds, while few schools have planted trees, the mayor said.

Rumaragishyika added that Kagarama Secondary school needs to be rebuilt because it is old but it take Frw100 million,which the school does not have.

He also said that APE Rugunga needs to rehabilitate school toilets, vanishing school buildings and replacing old roofing material, which they promised to do.

He noted that although Biryogo Primary School seems to be for the poor, the study conditions are handled well in collaboration with teachers, parents and local leaders. Pupils and parents who seem not to mind about education are given special attention.

Meanwhile, all the schools decried lack of exercise books and computers for the pupils and students to practice Information and Communication Technology when still young.

Rumaragishyika assured schools, Education Directors at District level of the city’s help in seeking solutions. He also urged the schools to think of available solutions such as acquiring loans from a fund for Private schools in the Rwanda Development Bank (BRD).

APE Rugunga’s Legal Representative, Benjamin Mbundi, requested the authorities to put humps near the school because some students have been victims of accidents. With the school being close to a busy road, parents and the school management are always worried.

APE Rugunga has a secondary, primary and a nursery school. There are 1020 secondary students, while Kagarama secondary school has 850 students.

Kigali city has 75 Secondary schools and 161 primary schools.

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