Rwanda and the World Bank have signed an additional financing agreement worth $129 million (over Rwf134bn) to among others support the government’s efforts to improve teacher competence and student retention.

The funds secured under the Quality Basic Education for Human Capital Development (QBE) project, comprises a $50 million credit, a $50 million grant as well as a co-financing of $29.062 million grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

For the past three years, the initiative has registered achievements in access to schools, along with improved teaching and learning conditions.

For instance, a steering committee which met on Tuesday, August 16, to among others track progress of the project highlighted that among the 22,505 classrooms built, a total of 11,004 units were financed under the initiative.

This, officials say, has brought an estimated 2.07 million school-age children within 2 kilometers home radius, and has also reduced student to class ratio at primary level from 73 in 2019 to 49 of 2021.

Over 100,000 laborers were employed, at a time there was socio-economic distress.

"In 20 years, approximately 46 per cent of Rwanda’s workforce aged 20-65 years will comprise individuals who were either in school or under the age of 5 during the pandemic, thus signaling the importance of investments and reforms done today to secure and improve learning,” said Rolande Pryce, World Bank country manager, Rwanda.

"This additional financing is a continuation of World Bank’s support for the Government of Rwanda’s Vision 2050 agenda. It aims to play a critical role in reversing the learning losses incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic,” she added.

The funds, officials said, will also be invested in the provision of innovative audio-visual programs as well as learning materials to primary school.