In 2014, the Rwandan government introduced the English Language School-Based Mentors (SBMs) programme. The aim of the programme was to improve teachers’ English language proficiency following the shift from the Francophone system of instruction in schools. Consequently, over 800 mentors were recruited and distributed across the country to facilitate the process. However, Rwanda Examination Board (REB) last month suspended the programme to allow for restructuring. But what are the achievements and challenges of the programme and why the restructuring was deemed necessary?

Improving teachers’ proficiency

According to the November 2013 advertisement, the SBM’s roles were fivefold; to direct teaching of English to teachers during the school term; work with Directors of Studies in each school to develop and implement annual and term work plans to improve teachers’ English language skills and instructional practices; provide level-specific training and support to improve teachers’ proficiency; identify teachers’ pedagogical needs and priorities and areas and put in place activities to respond to those needs; and conduct model lessons.

In this regard, SBMs were posted in different parts of the country, with each SBM given two schools to provide trainings. "Our job was to make English a reality on the ground, says David Jesero, who was a mentor in Muhanga District. "But it wasn’t just about English proficiency. We were responsible for training teachers on how to use learner-based methods and how to effectively teach literacy at an early age,” he adds.

Two years later, teachers, administrators and former mentors agree that the programme went a long way in improving teachers’ English proficiency and teaching methods in Rwandan schools. "The SBM programme was vital to me as an English teacher. Working hand in hand with the mentor, we were able to create cheap and easy to use learning materials. As a result, I became more creative in my teaching,” says Laurian Ikuzwe, a teacher at G.S Murambi.

Marie Janviere Mushimiyimana, the head teacher of Kanyanza A Primary School in Muhanga, says the mentors did a great job at her school. "These mentors have been very crucial in our schools. For example in helping teachers to get instructional materials and raising the culture of using the English language in school,” she says.

"We did diagnostic tests before we started training teachers,” says Andrew Kwizera, who was a mentor in Muhanga district. "When we did progress tests after the trainings, it was clear that there had been a great improvement. Some teachers could comfortably teach using the English language and they had fully adopted the learner-centred methodology,” he adds.

The learner-based approach went a long way in improving the literacy proficiency of students and some parents noticed the improvement. Justine Kayitesi, a parent based in Kanombe Sector in Kicukiro District, says: "My two children could barely speak English before, but now I can confidently say that they are reading and writing English well. This, I believe is one of the significant roles these mentors have played.”

Kwizera, however, adds that the positive change was seen only in schools where teachers embraced the programme. But if the programme was clearly meant to improve teachers’ proficiency, thereby improving the standard of education in Rwanda, why did it meet resistance from some stakeholders?

Communication gap and other challenges

"Sometimes, I would go to a school and sit there all day doing nothing,” says one of the mentors who had been posted in Nyanza district. "Neither the head teacher nor the teachers was receptive of me or what I had to offer,” she adds. Kwizera also makes the same claim saying that he was given a negative attitude by some teachers and other stakeholders. They looked at it as a foreign thing that had been forced their way, he says.

The bad attitude, one school administrator in Nyarugenge district, says can be attributed to the communication gap between the Rwanda Education Board (REB) and different stakeholders. He says that there wasn’t coordination between REB and the schools when it came to planning and implementation of the programme. Another challenge he identified was the fact that two schools shared the services of one mentor. This, he says, was inconvenient because there were many instances when he or his teachers required the mentor’s assistance and it wasn’t possible to access him/her since he/she would be at another school.

A District Education Officer (DEO) in Western Province who preferred anonymity was quick to say that SBM was "an excellent programme.” He, however, wished there had been more communication from REB concerning the programme. "I am only speaking from observation. But since I was not officially involved in its implementation, I could not make an official assessment of its effectiveness,” he says.  

Apart from the communication gaps and bad attitude, there was also a problem of language barrier. Some teachers feel that since they were not proficient in English, some material needed to have been explained in the local language in order for them to understand it. On the other hand, some of the mentors "were not proficient in the English language and yet they were supposed to assist us,” one teacher says.

On the part of mentors, they pointed out salary delays which were highly inconveniencing considering that they were operating in hard-to-reach areas and they were in a ‘strange’ country. Many mentors were from Uganda and Kenya. At the same time, mentors decried the short notice given to them by REB concerning their contract termination.

What is the way forward?

Speaking to The New Times recently, Janvier Gasana, the Director General of REB, said that the move was part of the restructuring in the programme, where they want all schools to have a resident mentor unlike previously where only few of them benefitted."We are trying to scale up the mentorship programme to all public schools in the country. For that reason, we want to appoint teachers for each of the over 4,000 schools.”

He said that they have already identified the teachers for each school and they will undergo a refresher course during the end of third term holidays to ensure that by the beginning of the new academic year, they are ready to carry out the programme.

Although some mentors and teachers are doubtful that Rwandan teachers have already achieved the level of English proficiency required for them to carry on with the programme on their own, some others believe that it will go on.  Mushimiyimana, for instance, said that they will not fail to find a teacher from her school to take up the mentorship work "since most of them studied education and attained different  trainings from Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).”

When the restructuring takes place, Jesero advises that the programme be managed with Civil Society Organisations such as Voluntary Services Oversees (VSO) and British Council for effective implementation.

Kwizera suggests adequate communication with different stakeholders to ensure ownership of the programme. Ikuzwe agrees with Kwizera and also adds that mentors should be adequately trained for their task since this is an important aspect in improving the standard of education in Rwanda.

Teachers share  their experience

Jacqueline Umurerwa, Gs.Kanombe

The mentorship programme was good and productive only that REB needs to work with school administrators to allocate proper time on the school timetables to give the mentor enough time to work with teachers.

Francoise Muyenzi, Gs Mata Muhanga

The mentors became a reference point for various situations in our classroom teaching and methodology. We would brainstorm about better practical classroom practices with our mentor and we would apply most of the practices in our classrooms. Some of the hard-to-reach areas had no mentors and REB should look into that.

Xavier Ngirabakunzi, Gs Rugando Gasabo

My mentor helped me improve my reading culture. She also gave me useful advice concerning creativity in making teaching aids for my students. For efficiency, REB should create proper administration of such programmes so as to keep track of what mentors are doing in their respective schools.

Valerie Mukabutera, GS Rugando Gasabo

Our mentor improved our classroom practice through the different methodologies she used to teach us. Rwanda Education Board should however sensitise teachers before introducing such programmes so as to avoid negative reception.

Moise Gashirabake, EP Kivomo Muhanga

The SBM programme was a very good initiative. We became proficient in English because she would encourage us to use it regardless of the mistakes we would make.

I’m glad each school will now get its own mentor because the ones we had before were not enough.