KIGALI - Early last year, the government introduced the 9-Year Basic Education (9-YBE) programme, which offers six years of primary education and three years of secondary education to all Rwandan children free of charge.

The idea was to have school-going children unable to access education in the past to do so, and be able to compete in the job market regionally. The Ministry of Education also hopes that the programme will reduce the dropout rate in schools.

Information from the Ministry of Education indicates that already, the current enrolment rate stands at 97 percent for boys and 98 percent for girls.

According to UNESCO, this is the highest enrolment rate in the region. So far, many countries are implementing free primary education. Few, however, have put in place a programme for post-primary education.

The first batch of students joined their respective secondary schools across the country in February, 2010. A primary level pupil now attends the same school for primary and the first three years of secondary education before embarking on the advanced education elsewhere.

Schools speak out

Several Headteachers say the programme has gained momentum following a recent schools construction campaign that has seen thousands of new classrooms built across the country.

Nearly all the classrooms have been voluntarily built by parents, teachers, university students or government officials.

They say the strategy of free education for all is beginning to pay off. The enrolment rate has increased as more children go to school.

The ministry has been able to recruit more teachers to make sure that they are well prepared. The goal is to reduce the teacher-student ratio from 74 to 45 students per teacher.

Though headteachers commended the government’s effort to equip schools with the basic teaching materials like books, they noted that lack of computers and the insufficient lab materials for practical lessons hamper the success of the programme.

"We know that in the long run, some of the problems we meet will be overcome so that all students get all necessary equipment,” explains Theophile Ntigura, the Headmaster of Groupe Scolaire Rukira in Huye sector.

"How can they manage to do the examination without having practiced,” asks Jean Damascene Nizeyimana, the director of Groupe Scolaire Butare in, Huye District.

The school has only three laptops that it received from donors; they are used  by 307 students. According to some schools, the government should think of providing additional materials in order to improve the quality of education students are receiving, especially in sciences.

Electricity also remains a challenge especially for schools and students in rural areas. This has a great impact on students’ performance.

"It is difficult for us to revise our studies at home especially at night. The lack of electricity strongly affects our class performance,” said Rachid Bizimana, a student at Groupe Scolaire Butare.

The headmaster of GS Byumba Catholic Secondary School, Francois Xavier Kalimba, said their new four-classroom block currently accommodates over 160 students in senior one and two, bringing the entire number of students in the school to 323.

Esperance Nyirabahire, the head teacher of GS Byumba Inyange, said their newly constructed three-classroom block, constructed under the 9-YBE program has enabled the school to increase its intake from 135 to 277 students during the 2010 academic year.

When contacted, Gicumbi District Director of Education, Deogratius Mwanafunzi, said the District intends to construct a total of 115 classrooms under the program, in the entire District before the end of this year.

"A total of 92 classes and 444 toilets have so far been constructed under the nine years basic education program in the entire District”, said Mwanafunzi.

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