The Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA) has started implementing the "pay and retention” policy for public servants to reduce salary disparity.

Developed in 2012 and approved by the Cabinet, the integrated and comprehensive policy seeks to address gaps in pay and retention of public employees, including teachers.

According to officials, the proposed salary projections under the policy will improve teachers’ public wage bill share, which stood at 23.23 per cent in 2012, in comparison to their employment share of 62 per cent, and increase their wage bill share to 37.06 per cent. Currently, a freshly recruited certificate holder teacher (A2 primary school teacher) earns Rwf44,000 per month, a diploma holder (A1) Rwf90, 000, while a graduate (A0) earns Rwf120, 000.

According to the new statue, a teacher gets a bonus resulting from his/her annual performance evaluation. The annual performance bonus is calculated basing on the basic salary as follows:5 per cent is granted to a teacher whose score is equal to or higher than 80 per cent; 3per cent is granted to a teacher whose score ranges from 70 per cent but is less than 80 per cent.

A teacher whose score ranges from 60 per cent but is lower than 70 per cent shall not receive any bonus for good performance. A teacher whose performance score is less than 60 per cent will be removed from office without any terminal benefits.

All teachers who were in the teaching service in the public service for the year 2015 or who joined the teaching service in public service in the course of 2015 shall be granted a fixed performance score 70 per cent on the basis of which they get a performance bonus of 3 per cent of the basic salary they were entitled to at that time.

Over the years, teachers’ welfare has not been good, which has left a big number of teachers demoralized, with others even switching to other jobs.

Statistics indicate that the number of people joining teaching profession has been increasing over the years, meaning that a lot needs to be done to manage the increasing numbers. For instance, data from MIFOTRA shows that there were 41,192 teachers in primary schools in 2014 and the number grew to 42,005 in 2015. For secondary schools, there were 27,116 teachers in 2014, but the number increased to 27,644 in 2015.

According to Johnson Ntagaramba, the director of teacher management and staffing at Rwanda Education Board (REB), the number of teachers across the country is 63,000,which is far more than other public servants.

Teachers share experiences

A Swahili teacher at GS Ruramba in Nyaruguru District, Emmy Ntigurirwa says as a bachelor, he still finds it hard to survive on the Rwf130,000 the monthly pay he gets.

"This is even worse for a person who is married; leave alone the high food prices, high rent and transportation costs. This not only impacts the quality of education we deliver but also affects us psychologically,” he says.

Athanasie Vuguziga, a retired primary teacher in Kayonza District, Western Province, says she was able to stay in the profession because of her love and passion for teaching.

"During our time, we used to get little money compared to what teachers of today are getting. Most of my colleagues resigned to start their businesses because of low pay,” she says.

However, Vuguziga says even though the pay was small, the cost of living was not as high as it is now. She notes that it’s hard for any teacher to manage the cost of living today with the kind of salary they are getting.

As any public servant, Marie Jeanne Arahirwa, a teacher at GS Nyange 1 in Musanze District, says teachers need their jobs to provide them an income that will enable them concentrate on teaching only rather than running around for side income.

"I think one of the factors that may contribute to students not performing well is teachers not being in a position to deliver as required because of their little and strained income,” she says.

Research findings by UNESCO indicate that the quality of education improves when teachers are given due support, including their income and other incentives to encourage them remain in the field of teaching.

On the other hand, Jean Habimana, a teacher at G.S Nkondo in Kayonza District, says teachers at the school are given one room to live in, which he says, only favours those who are single, and not couples.

"Due to this, it’s very common to find most of the teachers looking for other means of survival, like trying to do more than one job at a time,” he says.

According to Habimana, this is a threat to the quality of work they deliver. The only way forward, he says, it to rectify the problem before it’s too late.

Felix Ndahiro, a 55-year-old resident of Kamonyi District, says he quit teaching against his will to start a business.

"I have passion for teaching, but I expected to get something meaningful out of that, which didn’t happen for the few years I spent in the field. If you are not motivated that passion becomes meaningless,” he says.

Way forward from the ministry

According to Ntagaramba, although the statute does not talk about salary increment, it talks about incentives like bonuses and promotions for teachers, which they believe is just one way of improving their welfare.

For instance, he points out that previously teachers were not getting certain services as public servants until last year when "pay and retention” policy was officially implemented.

Promotions and bonuses will be given to teachers yearly depending on their performance to improve their welfare, according to him.

"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 score more than 70 per cent,” says Ntagaramba.

Additionally, teachers will also have a right to promotions, either horizontally or vertically, which goes hand in hand with salary increment.

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

Emerthe Kabatesi, the in-charge of teachers’ social economical welfare at REB, says there are 416 single room houses for teachers’ countrywide, which according to her, is among the incentives that will improve the welfare of teachers.

"There is a need to improve the salary of teachers but it’s still not yet done. However, the motivation they are getting is packaged differently,” she says.

Kabatesi points out that providing teachers free accommodation, as well as helping their children with bursaries are just among the things being done to improve teachers welfare.

Their thoughts...

Aimable Mazimpaka, Kigali resident

I believe the initiatives that have been put in place by government are commendable considering that it was not happening before. This should give teachers morale to work hard and prove that they can deliver when motivated. Besides, headtechers should work hand in hand with their staff to come up with strategies to improve their welfare.

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Venuste Munyeshyaka, graduate in education

The young people are tomorrow’s leaders but they are shaped by teachers. If they don’t get good quality education, this compromises their future. Apart from just motivation, I think it will be better to work on their salary increment as a whole to match with the cost of living today.

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Gasper Hategekimana, student at GS Rugando

If teachers’ salary is increased, I think it will help both students and teachers. People are always at their best when they are motivated or well rewarded; the same case should apply to teachers so that they deliver better.

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Alice Mukakabano, parent

For anyone to concentrate on what they are doing, starts with the mind. I believe teachers are the  number one contributor to good performance in schools, therefore something ought to been done to uplift their financial status.