KIGALI - Owing to the current training of over 40,000 teachers in English, the ministry of education has postponed the commencement of the 2010 academic year to February 1, 2010.  

Government wants all academic lessons to be conducted in English starting next year and has since embarked on training teachers in the language ahead of the start of the new academic year.

Over 40, 000 teachers are currently undertaking the training and the last batch will finish their training on January 29, 2010.

Speaking during the KCC security meeting on Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sharon Haba said that the first term of the 2010 academic year will last 8 weeks as opposed to the normal three months.

Meanwhile, Kigali city says it’s on course of finishing structures for the Nine-Year Basic Education with most classrooms in Kicukiro and Nyarugenge already roofed.

The ministry had set days before Christmas as deadline for finishing construction of these classrooms.

The classrooms being constructed are 3, 721 to accommodate over 170, 000 students who are expected to join lower secondary next year.

In an effort to beat the deadline, the Ministry of Education has earmarked the services of Rwanda Defence Forces and the National Police.

The new 9YBE programme ensures that students study the first three years of secondary education at the premises of their primary schools, in a system adopted to trim down the dropout rate of students.

MINEDUC says the entire project will cost Rwf 36bn to come from donors and government.

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