Dear Editor,

It is rather disappointing to note that the Ministry of Education has not come out to plausibly defend or even apologise for the decline in primary six students’ performance of 2007 national examinations.

The New Times dated February 11 showed that thirty-eight percent was set as pass mark for pupils to join public secondary schools.

But, only 26.74% of the total 115,924 candidates obtained the points. With this kind of statistics, it is quite obvious that the performance was appalling.

This unusual decline was defended with an argument of change in examination setting as the root cause. Also, the fairly good overall performance in primary six national exams was used as a cover up.

Surprising though, the low pass mark was regarded as an irrelevant issue. Much as it is undeniable that Rwanda’s 1994 atrocity brought a set back in the country’s education system, there should be no reason for us cry over spilt milk.

The Ministry of Education should forget about the past and aim at improving school administration, getting qualified teachers, upgrading curriculum and providing pedagogic materials.

Harmonizing Rwanda’s education system with that of other East African countries is also something government should start focusing on.

Gisenyi