EDITOR,

The headline in yesterday’s paper, "Universities to scrap irrelevant courses” breaks my heart. I totally disagree with the very idea of an ‘irrelevant’ course.

Who defines what is relevant or not? Are you telling me that the wonks in the education ministry can foretell the future? Because what might seem relevant today might become obsolete in the next ten years because of a seismic change in global trends. For example, who in the late 80’s could have imagined the impact of the PC and the World Wide Web?

Single handedly, these two things changed the way the entire world operated.

Secondly, Rwanda doesn’t only need engineers and scientists. It needs psychologists, anthropologists and fine artists. Who wants to live in a country that is without any culture? Having studied in a Rwandan university, I believe that, instead of removing courses, I think that the debate should be about the kinds of courses we need to introduce in addition to the ones we have already.

What we might judge silly, or irrelevant might just be the thing that gives someone his/her fortune.

Sam Rwego
Kimihurura