The Minister of Education, Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, yesterday met with 30 District Education Officers (DEOs) to discuss plans to advance the quality of education.

He urged the DEOs to always inspect schools in their districts and be ambassadors in the implemention of quality education.

The Minister highlighted some of the causes of the low standards and steps to resolve this.

"Absenteeism of school heads, some of whom have enrolled for further education hence abandoning the schools, lack of planning and preparation of notes before teaching and indiscipline in schools without taking action, are some of the setbacks that have lowered the quality of Education,” said Habumuremyi.

He also noted that some schools do not make use of library books but only rely on the few notes they make while others incite racial differences and genocide ideologies thus creating misunderstanding amongst teachers and students.

The Minister called upon the DEOs to follow up on the learning and teaching system in schools.

He told them to push for practical education like making use of science and computer laboratories and use of the English language.

"The English language is a key for many opportunities, vital in trade, technology, extensively used means of communication worldwide and should therefore be promoted,” Habumuremyi said.

Julian Uwamahoro, the DEO of Gicumbi District, said that one of the major challenges that has led to low quality of education is the low salary offered to teachers.

"Teachers are given little yet some of them have large families to take care of. This leads to low motivation and no zeal for teaching hence leading to decline in the standard of education. This problem should be addressed,” Uwamamoro said.

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