Teachers are among our greatest public servants. They spend their lives educating our young people and shaping our nation for tomorrow, Solomon Ortiz, a US politician once said.

However, despite their sacrifice, teachers have always complained that they struggle to survive on their meager incomes.

But for Rwandan teachers, there is a ray of hope that the future will be bright and their welfare improved, thanks to the Presidential Order establishing special statute governing teachers in nursery, primary and secondary education that was officially gazetted in November last year.

The statute was drafted by the Rwanda Education Board (REB) in consultation with teachers.

The statute defines and categorises teachers, talks about procedures of promoting teachers and when a teacher should be categorised as "Honorary” based on long and exceptional service.

It talks about how bonuses and promotion should be given, requirements for teachers’ recruitment and how teachers should get registered, among others.

Under the new statute, teachers will take oath before starting the job to fulfill educational duties with dedication.

The statute also talks about transfer of teachers and right to get facilitated whenever they are sent on official mission.

A teacher in acting position of school administrator for more than thirty days is entitled to the salary and other monthly benefits associated with the administrative post, according to the new statute.

Positive impact on teachers

The statute comes as an incentive to restructure the way teachers live, according to officials.

Isaac Munyakazi, the State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, says the main motive of this new statute is to raise the status and credibility of teachers.

"The new statute has come with a lot of positive changes to all the teachers. It’s an achievement as a ministry, since teachers have been working without any law governing them as they had to improvise using the labor law,” he says.

"The case is different now as teachers will be aware of their rights, including health care, where the employer provides health care support to the teacher and other people under their care,” adds the minister.

Claudien Nzitabakuze, the head of Teacher Education Management and Professionalisation Department at Rwanda Educational Board (REB), says a teacher now has a right to necessary documents and materials provided by school to allow them fulfill their duties, as well as the right to a clean work place.

The other aspect which is new in the teacher’s special statute is the right to transfer to another school.

Unlike before when it took longer for a teacher to get a transfer from one district to another, under the new statute, all a teacher needs is a letter from the current employer to the prospective employer in order for them to be approved.

Previously, if a teacher wanted to transfer, they were forced to start afresh, undergo the whole recruitment process again, which was tiresome and time consuming.

After registration, teachers will be licensed and given a certificate after they have fulfilled all the requirements. They will also be put in categories depending on their experience and performance.

No salary increment?

Although the statute does not talk about salary increment, it talks about bonuses and promotions for teachers, something officials believe will improve teachers’ welfare.

Nzitabakuze explains there are two ways of getting a bonus; the first one is done after every first year of teaching, commonly referred to as ‘pay as you perform’.

He added that teachers will be promoted yearly basing on how they have performed.

For instance, a teacher who will be able to get more than 80 per cent on the performance scale will get a bonus of 5 per cent increment, while a 3 per cent increment will be awarded to those who scored more than 70 per cent.

When it comes to horizontal promotion, which happens after three years of good performance teaching with bonus given, the bonus will be added to their salary and becomes fixed.

"Teachers will also have a right to promotions, either horizontally or vertically, which goes hand in hand with salary increment,” he adds.

"Whatever is added after three years will become part of the salary. They will sign contracts with head teachers who will be recommending them depending on their performance,” Nzitabakuze says.

In as much as it’s a way of improving teachers’ welfare, Nzitabakuze says the statute is another way of helping teachers to get motivated when carrying out their duties.

How far with Implementation?

According to Munyakazi, although the statute is still a new thing, the implementation should be effective this month (February).

"The awareness has already started, which we believe should go hand in hand with implementation,” he says.

The Ministry has already started raising awareness, but some of the aspects only need advocacy. For instance, teachers have been given three years to prove their capability of working; this category consists of those working without qualifications.

As a Ministry, Munyakazi says they have come up with a special programme to help them upgrade in liaison with University of Rwanda’s College of Education.

Teachers speak out

Teachers have welcomed the new statute saying that while a lot still needs to be done, the statute is a positive step forward and are optimistic that other issues will be tackled in the future.

According to Faustin Harerimana, the secretary general of Rwanda Teachers Association, the new statute explains the rights of teachers, their responsibilities and how teachers should be treated while at work, in trainings and during holidays, among others.

"The new statute shows some positive changes. It is now clear how a teacher should be treated while on duty. It also explains what teachers are entitled to and we hope it is a good step forward.

"Another encouraging thing is that teachers will be given bonuses based on their performances, they will also be promoted regularly and this will go hand in hand with incentives unlike previously when there were no such advantages,” he says.

However, Harerimana noted that that while it was a good sign for teachers to be involved in drafting the statue, some issues included in the draft were left out.

"While bonuses and promotions are the rights of employees, we had proposed that teachers’ salary would be increased so that it helps them cope with the rising market prices,” he says.

"We wanted it to also include issues of teachers’ housing, means of transport and education for their children. It is still bad that teachers educate others’ children but fail to cater for their own,” he adds.

Teachers seek more awareness

Some teachers who talked to Education Times say they are not aware of the new statute and called for concerned officials to share details about it.

"We are not aware of the statute; what we heard was that it was gazetted but we are yet to hear more about it. What we believe is that it contains articles that favour teachers. We know we do a great job but we have been finding it hard to live in an economically stressful world just like other public servants,” says Eduard Munyangabo, a primary school teacher.

However, officials from the Ministry of Education and Rwanda Education Board say awareness campaigns have started, which will go hand in hand with implementation.

Earlier last month, the Prime Minister, Anastase Murekezi , while officiating at the closure of Itorero for teachers’ in Musanze District, urged the Ministry of Education and other concerned institutions to ensure that what is included in teachers statute is implemented and teachers start benefiting from it.