Students have been challenged to think critically and to always endeavour to understand what they learn and be ready to put it in practice.
The call was made Tuesday, June 8, by Bernard Bahati, Director-General, National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA), while speaking at the grand finale of a science competition.
The annual contest brings together science students from across the country, each competing team comprising three students.
Ten schools reached this year’s final – held at Hilltop Hotel in the capital Kigali – with the team from Cornerstone Leadership Academy of Rwamagana District emerging the winners. Their project was to make cooking gas using paraffin as a source of fuel. The three winning team members received a Positivo laptop, a flash disk and a bag each.
"Critical thinking puts you in a position where you are able to translate the knowledge and skills you receive at school into practice,” Bahati told the A-level students.
That way, he added, learners are able to leverage education to address real life challenges and help make their communities and country better.
"You are smart, but these questions (from the panel) help you to present and examine your work critically," he said.
‘Tough questions’
However, some students and teachers complained that this year’s judges were stingy with points or posed far advanced questions during the Question-and-Answer segment.
The competition aims at boosting the science and technology culture among the Rwandan youth.
"The Q&A was honestly the most intense moment for me. The judges were a little bit harsh with us,” said Sublime Mpuhwe, a student from Stella Matutina girls’ school in Rulindo District, who presented a project at the competition. Her team’s project was about recycling plastic bottles to make different other objects, including decorations.
Samuel Ntibeshya, a Physics teacher from St Pierre Nkombo in Nkombo, Rusizi, said: "It could have been more helpful to ask students with empathy.
"It is important for a student to feel supported and made comfortable, especially since this competition is supposed to encourage them rather than discourage them in their ideas."
‘It’s all about quality’
The panel included Aimable Nsanzurwimo and James Hakizimana, both lecturers at INES-Ruhengeri.
Asked what he thought about suggestions that some of the questions were well beyond the students, Nsanzurwimo said: "We don't want them only to know what they studied but also to be able to explain it skillfully and confidently.”
"We asked them relevant basics," he insisted. "For example, we expect a Chemistry student, who is presenting a chemical project, to know the formula and impacts of the chosen product. So, if I ask about it, it is for quality work, that's all."