As schools across the country begin their end of year examinations, teachers and pupils have outlined wide-ranging challenges arising from the new examination policy introduced by Rwanda Education Board (REB).

As part of efforts to enforce the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), all lower primary pupils have to sit the same exams prepared by REB.

However, the policy faces immense criticism.

All lower primary exams are set in Kinyarwanda.

Félicien Hakizimana, the Head Teacher of Child Care Academy based Rusizi District, says that although his pupils have been studying in English, they are being assessed in Kinyarwanda.

"Our lower primary pupils are taught in English but the exams set by REB are in Kinyarwanda. We are lucky that the majority of them are Rwandans, and they study Kinyarwanda as a subject.”

Even as he has confidence that his pupils will pass, he says that the examination timetable from REB came in late, noting that pupils had little time to prepare.

Resource constraints

Due to resource constraints rural-based schools used to write examinations questions on blackboards.

Now they have to print the exams sent by REB never mind that some of them don’t even have access to electricity and internet.

Odette Musabinema, from Groupe Scolaire Rega ADPR in Nyabihu District, said that she struggled to print examination sheets for 2000 pupils.

A Twitter user, identified as @Sebera1 said in a post that, "We appreciate what REB has prepared but the organisation is very poor.  REB had not thought about the cost of printing those exams. Until now, there are schools located in areas without electricity. Headteachers have to look for stationaries (to print the exams) and exams are cheated.”

Head teachers say that during the printing process at stationery shops, exams are susceptible to theft.

Other teachers complained that pupils are subjected to long hours of sitting during the exams.

Two hours of examination for a P1 to P3 pupil is very long, a teacher who preferred anonymity said.

A Twitter user by the name of Cléophas Nzeyimana questioned whether a P1 (officially a 7-year-old) student is able to sit a 30-question math paper for two hours.

"Children lose focus easily. They can get bored and start rewriting the questions or drawing on the answer sheet.”

However, head teachers have appreciated the quality of exams prepared by REB.

Dr Alphonse Sebaganwa, the Head of Examination at REB, acknowledged the flaws.

He explained that the exams were designed to assess the implementation of all aspects of the curriculum.

"It might be true that they [exam items] might be many to some extent, but we are learning so that we can perform better next year,” he explained.

But, Jacqueline Mukamunana, a parent with one child in primary one and another in primary four at Centre Scolaire Kinyenyeri, Kicukiro District, is confident that the new arrangement will boost the competency of her children.

"We will also be able to see how schools that are teaching our children perform at the national level,” she said.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com