As the school year begins, unfortunately there are some parents who won’t send their children to school. Others will employ children, thereby interfering with their education or encouraging them to drop out of school. This is against the law and Ministerial Order No 001/2016 of 08/01/2016 that provides sanctions against such people.  

Article 1 of the Ministerial Order spells out sanctions against parents who do not send their children to school when the children have reached the required age to start primary school. Such parents shall be reprimanded in a meeting of the village where they reside and then ordered to send the child to school.

A parent who prevents a child from continuing his/her education is summoned to school to receive explanations about the importance of education and thereafter required to bring the child back to school. If they don’t bring the child back, school authorities are mandated with appealing to the cell authorities to bring back the child.

Ministerial Order No 001/2016 of 08/01/2016 Providing Sanctions Against Parents Who Do Not Send Their Children To School And Against Other Persons Who Employ Children In Work Preventing Them From Going To Or Encouraging Them To Drop Out Of School also places sanctions against employers who engage children in work that prevents them from going to school. Furthermore, it prohibits encouraging a child to drop out of school. Employers who are found guilty of this are to be dealt with by the authorised bodies and the child is taken back to school by cell authorities. This is according to article 3 of the Ministerial Order.

Article 4 of Ministerial Order No 001/2016 of 08/01/2016 places sanctions against other various people who are directly or indirectly involved in acts that prevent a child from starting studies. It also provides sanctions against those who encourage children to drop out of school or prevent them from continuing education.

Such people shall be condemned at a meeting of the cell of their residence and the child shall be brought back to school by the authorities of the cell. 

Article 4 of the Ministerial Order further says: "A teacher or other person responsible for education, who illegally, does not admit a child to school or prevents him/her from continuing school education shall be subject to administrative sanctions in accordance with his/her status and the child shall be brought back to school by the authorities of the cell.”

editorial@newtimes.co.rw