The National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) has ordered 62 privately owned schools to close, effective from the second term of the 2024/2025 academic year, due to issues related to the quality of teaching and learning environment.

Bernard Bahati, the Director General of NESA, said that more than 780 schools had been assessed with most of them meeting or on track to meet the requirements for teaching. He explained the decision to close the schools, mostly kindergarten, saying they did not meet minimum requirements.

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"We conducted inspections to assess whether schools fulfilled the necessary requirements. Unfortunately, we found some schools that did not meet the standards, and we had to instruct them to stop teaching,” he said.

"Every year, we inspect schools to check if they meet the standards we use. We verify if they have the necessary accreditation, infrastructure, and equipment to operate as schools. If a school meets the standards, we grant them the approval to continue operating.”

However, Bahati noted recurring challenges with non-compliant schools. "The problem we keep encountering is that even after inspections, where we inform schools which issues they should address, we return later to find that new schools have been introduced, operating without accreditation. This issue has persisted year after year,” he said.

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"This year, we identified 785 schools operating without proper documentation. Our approach was to inspect these schools thoroughly. For those that met all other requirements, we provided the necessary documents and accreditation," Bahati told the national broadcaster RBA.

"For some other schools that had issues to fix, we highlighted the corrections needed and gave them a chance to rectify, after which they will get accreditation."

"However, some schools were completely unsuitable to be called schools, some lacked proper infrastructure or equipment, and students in those environments faced significant challenges,” Bahati explained.

The schools were in 11 districts. Musanze District had the biggest number of closures, as 23 schools did not meet NESA&039;s requirements. Bugesera saw 13 schools closed, as Nyarugenge had 11 closures.

The official stressed the irregularities involved in opening schools without authorisation, adding that local leaders might have a hand in the malpractice.

"It is not acceptable for a school to open without seeking permission," Bahati said.

"Unfortunately, there are individuals who bypass the law and open schools with the approval of local authorities but without meeting national standards. When we find such cases, we assess the situation and make decisions to close the school if the environment poses risks to students,” he said.

What happens to learners?

Bahati said safety measures were considered to prevent learners from dropping out of school due to the closures.

"We made the decision to close these schools in September, but we allowed them to finish the term before implementing the closures," he said.

"As we always do when a school is closed, we work with local authorities to find alternative schools for the learners to continue their studies. We also ensure parents are informed through meetings where we explain the reasons for the closure and where their children will be transferred,” he said.

He added that the welfare of the affected school staff is also considered.

"When schools face closure, we also communicate with the employees to inform them of the decision and provide necessary guidance,” he said.