Teachers at GS Mayange B in Bugesera District are successfully implementing the remedial course programme for lower primary pupils launched last month by the Rwanda Education Board (REB). The programme targets pupils in Primary One, Two, and Three who were not promoted and focuses on three key subjects: Kinyarwanda, Maths, and English.

Joseph Mushyikirano, the Head Teacher at GS Mayange B, reported that 86 out of 762 primary students are currently enrolled in these remedial courses. "This programme is not only helping students catch up academically but also motivating them to stay in school. It is improving the skills and capabilities of slow learners as we prepare for the new academic year. We are particularly grateful, as many of these students come from vulnerable families and might otherwise be at risk of dropping out of school,” he said.

The programme is designed to cater to the varying skill levels of the pupils, ensuring that each learner receives the attention they need. "Teachers were trained to deliver remedial courses effectively, including how to categorise students based on their skill levels. An essential aspect of the programme is ensuring that learners start their day on a positive note. The school also ensures that students are well-nourished before starting their classes. The learners receive a breakfast of porridge and biscuits before beginning the remedial sessions. Once the students are motivated, learning becomes much easier,” said Mushyikirano. He expressed confidence that many of these students will be ready for promotion by the end of the programme.

Beatrice Mukamurego, a Primary Three teacher at GS Mayange B, outlined the daily schedule. "Remedial classes run from 9 a.m. to noon, but we start the day with songs and games from 8:30 to 9 a.m. to get the students ready for learning,” she explained.

Mukamurego highlighted the importance of daily assessments in tailoring the instruction to each student’s needs. "I assess the learners’ performance every day and group them based on their progress. Since the groups are small, I can closely monitor each one. For instance, some students initially struggled with subtraction in math, but they’re gradually improving. Others had difficulty reading English and Kinyarwanda, but now they are making noticeable improvement, thanks to the remedial sessions.”

Adelice Isimbi Keza, a Primary Three pupil, shared her experience with the programme. "I used to struggle with subtraction and remembering numbers in math. Because there are so few of us in the class, the teacher can explain things more clearly when I have trouble. Now, I understand things I didn’t before. We also read books in groups. I am working hard and I have hope that I will get promoted,” she said.

Call for programme expansion

The concept of remedial classes is not new at GS Mayange B. The school has been implementing a remediation and catch-up programme since last year, with support from Rwanda Education Quality Improvement Program (RwandaEQUIP). Mushyikirano explained that the school uses a "levelling” approach, where the content is adapted to the learners’ levels, aiming to help them catch up to grade level as quickly as possible.

"Our school didn’t wait for the end-of-year assessment to identify struggling pupils. Instead, students were assessed continuously, and the content was delivered according to their average proficiency levels. This allowed teachers to deliver more effective instruction, ensuring that even the lowest-performing pupils could progress towards grade-level skills,” Mushyikirano said.

The success is also attributed to the use of ICT tools provided by RwandaEQUIP. "The head teacher’s smartphone and teacher tablets have been instrumental in gathering data on teacher and pupil attendance, lesson completion, and continuous learning assessments. This helps teachers identify gaps and provide targeted interventions in their pupils’ knowledge and skills,” Mushyikirano noted.

The success of the approach is evident. "This is the first time we have had over 80 per cent of students achieve more than 50 marks. That is why we have fewer learners needing remedial programmes as we approach the new academic year,” Mushyikirano noted.

In light of the programme’s success at GS Mayange B, Mushyikirano advocates for expanding the remedial programme and the RwandaEQUIP initiative to other schools. He believes its positive impact on school management, improved learning outcomes, and reduced dropout rates could benefit students across the district and beyond.