The Government has reduced by 30 per cent, school fees paid by students enrolled in public and government-aided Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) schools.

This came after Rwf5 billion was injected into TVET schools subsidies.

According to Paul Umukunzi, Director General of Rwanda TVET Board (RTB), the development resulted from a campaign made by the institution to have more youth enrol in TVET schools.

He explained that young people enrolling in TVET schools come with opportunities considering how the labour market is today, as well as the government’s policy of investing in TVET, as the country strives for sustainable development.

The move started with the third term of academic year 2021/2022 and doesn’t concern TVET day scholars who only pay money for school feeding.

"During the awareness campaign, youth and parents revealed that one of the challenges they faced when they approached TVET schools was school fees which were still high,” he said, adding that usually it is so because TVET mode of learning requires students to put what they learn as theory into practice.

That, according to Umukunzi, requires a lot of equipment which results in high cost and limits a big number of young people from getting an opportunity to enrol in TVET schools.

"To tackle the issue,” he continued, "The Government of Rwanda has increased the budget for TVET schools, easing the way they get consumables and helping parents to pay less fees.”

He revealed that currently, all public as well as government-aided TVET schools that receive students sent by the government on a contract-basis have received the money to buy consumables and have bought them.

He added: "It is time for this government support to reduce what a parent was required and to make it easy for the youth who couldn’t afford the money to attend TVET schools.”

He also declared that the move will continue since the institution strives to give every Rwandan, especially youth, a chance to enrol in TVET so that they can get or create jobs hence contributing to development of the country.

Umukunzi urged students who are completing Ordinary Level to enrol in TVET schools, adding that the board also keeps increasing the infrastructure for TVET and the quality of education in line with the Government’s vision.

Currently, Rwanda has 451 schools; 258 are public and government-aided while 193 are public. It has 6,331 TVET trainers; 3831 working in public and government-aided schools and 2500 working in private schools.

Students who are enrolled in TVET schools are 93,485; the ones in level 3 to 5 are 76,955 and those in level 1 to 2 are 16,530 with a future projection of enrolling 60% of Nine Years Basic Education graduates.