HARARE - Teachers from Zimbabwe, who have been shortlisted to be recruited by Rwanda, are undergoing examinations across the southern African country under the supervision of officials from Rwanda’s education ministry.

The online examinations are ongoing at five centres where Rwandan and Zimbabwean officials have been deployed as invigilators.

The centres are at Harare Institute of Technology in Harare, Hillside Teachers’ College in Bulawayo, Masvingo Polytechnic, Gweru Polytechnic and Chinhoyi University of Technology.

Rwanda’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Charles Karakye, Director General Rwanda Basic Education Board Nelson Mbarushimana and officials from the Rwandan Embassy to Zimbabwe were on Wednesday in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West to facilitate and supervise the examinations.

Karakye said Rwanda has requested more teachers to bridge longstanding skills gaps and language barriers.

"We are recruiting competent education personnel to be employed in Rwanda on job positions under four categories: basic education, basic TVET (technical and vocational education and training), polytechnic and universities,” Karakye said.

A recruitment manual was jointly agreed to facilitate the hiring, while those successful will start working end of September or early October according to officials.

Karakye said during the period ranging from September 5 to 9, 2022, Rwanda’s Education ministry together with different concerned government institutions will prepare an induction programme that will cover the following aspects: Rwandan culture, history and its values, the historical background of the Rwandan education system, and detailed information about the geography of Rwanda as a new place of their stay for not less than two years.

"The successful candidates are expected to travel to Rwanda in September after undergoing pre-departure training by a team of experts from Zimbabwe and the Embassy of Rwanda to ensure adequate orientation and requisite information is imparted to the Zimbabwean nationals prior to their deployment,” Karakye said

Zimbabwe submitted a list of recommended candidates who will pass online written examinations.

Among the candidates, 341 were recommended but 311 were shortlisted to compete for available slots under the general basic education programme. These candidates will be competing for 278 places.

The spokesperson in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Public, Labour and Social Welfare, Respect Chofamba, praised the initiative of facilitating safe jobs outside the country as there are many bogus agents who are recruiting people outside the country.

"Government is making strides in giving people the opportunity to work outside the country as most people were being duped by recruitment agencies,” said Chofamba

The recruitment of teachers from Zimbabwe comes after the two countries signed an agreement early this year that will see Kigali hire teachers from the southern African country to cover a skills gap,

President Paul Kagame announced that Rwanda wanted to recruit quality teachers from Zimbabwe during the Rwanda Zimbabwe Trade and Investment Conference held September in 2021.