KIGALI - The government is set to introduce one school of excellence in every district to serve as an example to others. The schools are expected to be fully operational during the next academic year.

The schools, which are supposed to be predominantly science-based, will accommodate students in A-level.

According to the Director General of Education Planning in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Erasme Rwanamiza, one school of excellence has been identified per district and the ministry is working on furnishing the schools with appropriate infrastructure, equipment, materials and human resources.

Rwanamiza says that apart from setting up the centres to serve as models for other schools, the initiative is also based on Rwanda’s vision of becoming a knowledge-based and ICT-led economy among other objectives.

"The purpose of the whole concept is to have schools as centres where students and teachers from other schools around can come and benefit from high-quality resources available such as labs, ICT equipment and libraries,” Rwanamiza says.

In a recent interview with The New Times, Narcisse Musabeyezu, an Advisor in the ministry, said that once the schools are in place, they would accommodate students who have shown early signs of gifted talents in sciences so that they can develop these in an enabling environment.

"The schools will take in some of the best science students in the respective districts, so that they can develop their talents more,” said Musabeyezu.

The schools also come in at a time when the 12-Year Basic Education (12YBE) program is expected to be rolled out after the 9-Year Basic education program.

The first intake of 9YBE will graduate this year and the schools of excellence presents another chance for those joining A-level.

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