Over 3,000 secondary school science teachers have been enrolled into an eleven-day nationwide capacity training workshop dubbed, Strengthening Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE Rwanda).

This is aimed at improving their skills and knowledge in theoretical and practical teaching methods.

The workshop, which started yesterday, is organised by the Ministry of Education in partnership with the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA).

According to JICA, the training will be facilitated by over 80 trainers at ten schools which will function as district training centres.

According to the Training Supervisor at Lycee de Kigali, Eugenie Uwamariya, a mathematics teacher at Byimana School of Science in Ruhango District, Southern Province, the workshop aims to enhance education in science subjects as a way to advance the country’s technology-based growth.

"250 teachers have so far registered to train with us at Lycee De Kigali. Our goal will be to enforce a learner centred environment to improve the teachers’ skills, which knowledge they will in turn transmit to their students,” Uwamariya said.

One of the teacher trainers at Lycee De Kigali, Omer Kasikundu, a chemistry teacher at Fawe Girls School in Gasabo District, Kigali City, said that the initiative will greatly improve the quality of teachers in the country.

"Some science teachers didn’t get sufficient training, especially in handling science practical studies in laboratories. This training will hopefully equip them with important skills that will improve their quality and make them better teachers,” Kasikundu said.

Under SMASSE Rwanda, JICA aims to train 100,000 teachers in the sciences in a bid to play a vital role in strengthening the partnership between Japan and Rwanda towards achieving development through education.

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