VIDEO: Over 22,900 TVET candidates sit examinations

A total of 22,966 candidates in Technical and Vocational and Education and Training (TVET) begun their national exams yesterday.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Times Reporter

Charlene Byukusenge, a vocational student from Groupe Scolaire ADB Nyarutarama High School in Gasabo District, fixes her project of design and implementation of sound signaling system at SOS Hermann Gmeiner Technical High School in Kagugu, Gasabo. (Timothy Kisambira)

A total of 22,966 candidates in Technical and Vocational and Education and Training (TVET) begun their national exams yesterday.

Video: 22,966 Students Begin TVET National Practical Examinations. Source: The New Times/YouTube

According to the Workforce Development Authority (WDA), this year’s candidates, from 162 institutions, increased by 7.8 per cent compared to last year’s 21,305. They include 10,721 females (46.7 per cent).

The examinations will cover 22 trades, including accountancy, agriculture, electricity, forestry, hotel operations and tourism, among others.

Gerome Gasana, the WDA director-general (L) and Albert Nsengiyumva, the state minister for TVET, arrive for the launch of the practical exams at SOS Hermann Gmeiner Technical High School in Kagugu, Gasabo District yesterday.

Minister doubts student competency

Launching the exercise at SOS Technical School in Kagugu, Gasabo District, Albert Nsengiyumva, the minister of state in charge of TVET, urged vocational institutes to empower students with hands-on skills and guide them throughout their projects.

"I doubt these students are really presenting their own projects as they do not fully understand the content. Schools must guide students through the project selection and development to ensure that a project meets the market demand,” Nsengiyumva said after attending three project presentations.

Rogers Dushimiyimana from Alliance High School explains how his project of signal of presence and abscence of people in office works.

While students are exclusively guided by their instructors, the minister urged WDA to include external supervisors from professional firms in order to link students to real world of their respective subjects.

Daniel Abimana, a candidate in Electrical Engineering from Solidarity Academy, in Kicukiro District, blamed his poor project presentation on lack of effective workshops at the school and the fact his supervisor tasked him with a topic that is not relevant to his domain after rejecting his proposal.

ADB's Charlene Byukusenge fixes her project about design and implementation of sound signaling system. (All photos by Timothy Kisambira)

"I did a project on automatic water heater controller, a topic which falls in electronics domain since I am doing electricity. Lack of materials to carry out this project has also been challenging as I had to buy everything myself,” he said.

According to Jerome Gasana, the director-general of WDA, TVET national practical examinations are being carried out for the fifth time and will end October 2.

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