On Thursday, October 29, secondary students returning to their schools expressed excitement after spending more than seven months of digital learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

By 8:00 am, the first group of students had departed from Kigali Stadium in Nyamirambo, where they had all convened to be facilitated back to their schools.

As part of the phased reopening plan, only students in the two candidate classes (S.6 and S.3), senior five students and those in Level 3-5 under the TVET programme are expected to resume physical classrooms.

For the primary section, students in primary five and primary six will resume physical classes next week on Monday.

Benjamin Kageruka, Head of Education Quality Assurance Department at the Ministry of Education, told The New Times that facilitating students back to school started with students whose schools are located in Kigali city as well as the Southern Province.

"This exercise will take four days starting from today (Thursday), up to Sunday,” he added.

According to Kageruka, all students in the mentioned classes will on Monday be expected to start learning.

Kageruka pointed out that students as well as educationists should make sure that they respect the Covid-19 containment measures.

He encouraged teachers to be near their students in order to enable them to cope up with the new normal.

"As you know some of them have not seen each other for the past six months, which means that they miss each other. So, teachers should be near them for guidance, advice and counselling to further strengthen the fight against the coronavirus.”

He, however, decried that some parents were not respecting the schedule of departure which affected the transport order.

"One of the challenges is that some parents are not respecting the schedule provided by the Ministry of Education, because most of them want to bring their children in late hours,

"We encourage them to respect time for better transport management of their kids”.

According to a recently released school calendar, schools will be beginning their second term.

School calendar

Meanwhile, students whose schools are located in Nyaruguru, Nyamagabe, Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts will head to their schools on October 30.

Also, students whose schools are located in Nyanza, Kamonyi, Ruhango, Ngororero, Rubavu and Nyabihu districts will head to their respective schools on October 31.

Schools located in Northern and Eastern provinces will receive their students on November 1.

The calendar indicates that students in senior one, two and four, will kick-off their studies on November 23.

Students in the above years whose schools are located in Huye, Gisagara, Nyaruguru, Nyamagabe, Karongi, Rutsiro, Rusizi, Nyamasheke and Kigali City will head there on November 20.

Boarding students in senior one, two, and four whose schools are located in Muhanga, Kamonyi, Nyanza, Ruhango, Ngororero, Rubavu and Nyabihu districts will return to their schools on November 21.

Boarding schools located in Northern and Eastern provinces will receive their students on November 22.

All students will begin with term two and have a two-week holiday from April 3 through April 15.

The third term will last for 12 weeks, starting on April 19 and end on July 9, next year.