Thousands of primary and secondary school teachers have been recalled after it emerged that some of the recently deployed teachers had missed certain recruitment exams. 

The exams, held December 10, 2019, were aimed at recruiting at least 7,214 new teachers to improve the teacher-to-student ratio and decongest classrooms.

Rwanda Education Board (REB) took over the process of recruiting teachers from districts.

Dr Valentine Uwamariya, the Minister for Education, said some teachers were given one exam yet they were supposed to sit for two or more.

"If a teacher has to teach two courses, they had to sit for two exams, but some sit for only one,” she explained. "The procedures of how exams had to be done were not explained the same in all districts. In some districts, teachers had to sit for one exam for three hours but some sat for two exams in three hours. These are mistakes we have to correct and all teachers must have an equal chance in sitting the exams.”

The irregularities, officials said, caused massive failure with only 5 per cent passing.

Uwamariya said that the list of teachers to resit exams should be submitted not later than March 6, 2020.

The situation has left schools with insufficient teaching staff despite the academic trimester coming to a close.

Teachers narrate how it happened

Florent Migisha was supposed to do two exams – English and French – which he was supposed to teach in Musanze District.

In languages, others were supposed to do English and Kinyarwanda exams, English and Swahili exams among other language combinations since they had to teach both subjects.

However, Mugisha told The New Times that they were surprised when a supervisor from REB told them that they had to do one exam.

"I personally passed the exam but the problem emerged when someone could be sent to teach a subject in which they have no skills. For instance, a teacher supposed to teach Swahili could be sent to teach French without related skills,” he said.

Innocent Ryambaje was supposed to teach English and Swahili but only sat for the English exam. He is yet to be deployed since the school rejected him as he hadn’t sat for the Swahili exam.

"It means that I have to sit for the other exam that I missed.

Vacant positions but teachers not deployed

Eugene Hakorimana, a teacher from Nyabihu district said he passed in teaching English and Kinyarwanda but said he is on the waiting list despite vacant positions in schools in the same district.

A teacher who preferred anonymity at GS Murama in Nyabihu District said they have no teachers for English, entrepreneurship, history and computer science. 

However, even those who have been deployed have not yet received their salary, he said.