GASABO - The Rwanda National Examination Council (RNEC) will change the grading system in which students who answers reflect an element of research will score higher than students who use only what their teachers give them in class.

The new system that will kick off this year is a way of harmonizing the examining system of Rwanda with that of the East African Community (EAC)

According to the Executive Secretary of RNEC, John Rutayisire, students will be required to answer questions in line with what they have been asked and will be required to explain the answer using their general knowledge.

"A student who will be providing answers with knowledge from what the teacher taught her or him in class should not expect to get as much marks as that one that approaches the question from a general knowledge perspective,” said Rutayisire.

Rutayisire said there was need to merge Rwanda’s marking system with the rest of EAC countries where marks are awarded according to a student’s extensive knowledge that is not necessarily picked from classrooms.

"This is going to help reduce the tendency of students depending on class material and will cultivate the culture of reading widely and carrying out enough researches during periods of preparations for exams,” he explained.

"This arrangement is going to help the Rwandan education system produce academicians who have knowledge that is based on research.”

Emmanuel Mugabe a secondary school teacher told The New Times that the system was going to help ease the teachers’ work where students depended only on material picked from class.

"It is going to help ease our work and will also help us train strong argumentative students,” he said.

Ends