This year’s first term for Rwandan schools has begun this week. The hustle and bustle of buying stationery and other school-related items has come to a close, including the headache that comes with transporting huge numbers of school goers, all returning to their schools the same day.

As parents sigh with relief that this term’s mission has been accomplished – for some literally do consign their children to their school minders since they consider that their part of finding fees is over – there are some few things that we need to take serious note of, and not really say our duty as parents is done this term as regards our children and the schools they are attending.

It is very important that parents check on their children’s progress during the school term. This sounds pretty obvious, but there are many parents whose business schedules grow tighter by the day as Rwanda’s economy grows.

It is these parents who do not have enough time for their children, and believe that by sending them to boarding school they have done their best by them. Check on the children to find out their performance and well-being at the school.

Last year ended on a sour note for many secondary schools: it was found out by a Parliamentary committee that there were many schools which were perpetrating the genocide ideology, and looking on as student survivors were harassed and specially tagged. Just imagine that you are the kind of business-harassed parent who just dumped your child at school and disappeared to run your businesses.

It would be shocking to hear that your un-guided child is keeping bad company – since perhaps the school is also the wrong type.

The whole community should act as watchdogs against this murderous ideology, as it is a cancer that needs to be completely cut out of the Rwandan population. The ministry of Education should strengthen its inspectorate division so that all schools are monitored, not just for this cancer, but also for better institutional management.
Ends