Primary leaving examinations started Monday, July 12, and will end July 14, with a total of 254,678 pupils sitting for the exams nationwide.

Among these, 23 candidates are from Nyagatare Juvenile Prison, and all are boys.

The candidates will do a total of five subjects, mathematics, social and religious studies, science and elementary technology, Kinyarwanda and English.

Pelly Uwera Gakwaya, the Spokesperson of Rwanda Correctional Services (RCS), said these juvenile inmates were taken to their examination centre and given all instructions before exams.

"They had enough time to revise, through past papers, and their teachers always help them in revision and they always have enough time to revise either evening or morning hours,” she said.

"In order to curb the pandemic we have urged every candidate to follow all the Covid-19 guidelines put in place during the exams, they have a place where they stay near their examination centre so they cannot mix with other inmates in case they test positive. If any of them showy we alert health workers,” she added.

According to RCS, four other juvenile inmates are expected to sit for their Ordinary Level national examinations set to start next week from Tuesday, July 20 to July 27.

The number of delinquent candidates has increased from 19 in 2019 when 11 boys and 2 girls sat for primary leaving exams while six boys sat for ordinary level national exams.

While one inmate sat for the advanced level national exams in 2019, no inmate has registered for this year’s national exams.