The Minister of Education, Gaspard Twagirayezu, has called for collective efforts to ensure that every Rwandan child receives a strong foundation at an early age, thereby unlocking their full potential for lifelong success. He made the remarks during the fifth National Symposium for Foundational Learning held in Kigali on March 25.

African leaders have been urged to commit to and champion foundational learning so as to lift the foundational level of education among African children.

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The two-day symposium which will conclude on March 26 gathers over 100 participants from government institutions, teachers, students, development partners, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector, to discuss progress to strengthen foundational learning in Rwanda.

Foundational learning refers to basic literacy, numeracy, and transferable skills such as socio-emotional skills. It is acquired in the early years of education, specifically Primary 1 to 3, with the pre-conditions being laid in pre-primary.

"When we put our efforts, our expertise, and resources, together, we can ensure that every child receives a strong foundation they deserve. And that's a foundation that unlocks their full potential and sets them on a path to lifelong success,” Twagirayezu said.

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Data from the Ministry of Education shows that 66 per cent of Primary 3 pupils are proficient in English, but comprehension drops to 46 per cent. Acknowledging the progress in literacy outcomes, Twagirayezu stressed the need for continued improvement and the eradication of learning deficits, urging leveraging expertise, setting higher ambitions, and staying connected with the real experiences of stakeholders involved in early education.

He highlighted the Ministry's commitment to advancing the foundational learning agenda, with plans for personalising the strategy, comprehensive costing exercises, and the establishment of a delivery mechanism to ensure swift and effective implementation.

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As far as foundational learning is concerned, Rwanda has achieved commendable figures in terms of enrollment. Bernard Bahati, the Director General of the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA), highlighted that the gross enrollment rate stands at 142 per cent, with a net enrollment rate of 87 per cent.

Classroom dynamics reveal a pupil-classroom ratio of 57 to 1 and a repetition rate hovering around 25 per cent. Additionally, there's a pupil-teacher ratio of 44 to 1 and a textbook-pupil ratio of 1 to 2.

Regarding student performance in numeracy, Bahati said that over 50 per cent of Primary 2 pupils attained scores of 70 per cent, or higher, in Kinyarwanda. However, there's a pressing need to enhance performance in English and Mathematics.

Bahati highlighted progress in literacy, noting a decrease in the percentage of Primary 2 pupils unable to read aloud, from 47 per cent in 2018 to 20 per cent in 2022. He said there has been an increase in fluent readers in Kinyarwanda, rising from 16 per cent to 32 per cent.

Comprehension rates in Kinyarwanda have also seen improvement, climbing from 36 per cent to 57 per cent.

Bahati outlined several key strategies for advancing foundational learning, including consistent data collection through various tools, using data to generate report cards and identify learning gaps, designing remedial programmes based on data, refining inspection tools for pedagogical focus, and creating simplified monitoring tools for parents and the community.

The fifth National Symposium for Foundation Learning was organised in partnership with the World Bank.

Sahr Kpundeh, the World Bank Country Manager, highlighted its evolution into a productive forum for reviewing progress in Rwanda's education sector. He emphasised the importance of foundational learning in Rwanda's broader goals of sustainable growth and inclusive development, noting challenges faced in the sub-Saharan Africa region.

"Foundational learning is central to the development of Rwanda's education sector,” he said.

"Rwanda has shown that we can do better, and that learning, recovery, and acceleration is possible."

Kpundeh commended Rwanda's achievements in education over the past five years, including expanded access to basic education and efforts to bring children back to school post-Covid-19 lockdowns.

He credited government and partner investments for positive outcomes in learning, evidenced by improved learning achievements in Rwandan schools.

"Through a collaborative and consultative process, the Ministry of Education has formulated a clear and well-articulated national foundational learning strategy,” he added.

"Addressing the most persistent challenges hampering learning and reaching the most marginalised children requires all sectors."