Students back to school for 1st term

Secondary school students yesterday started reporting back to their respective schools for the first term which opens today.

Monday, January 07, 2013
Students wait to board commuter buses in Nyabugogo taxi and bus park yesterday. The New Times/ John Mbanda.

Secondary school students yesterday started reporting back to their respective schools for the first term which opens today.According to information from the Ministry of Education, the first batch that left yesterday comprises of students from Southern Province, Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts in the Western Province and those from Gasabo, Nyarugenge and Kicukiro districts in Kigali City.The second batch, that goes today, is made up of students from Eastern Province, Northern province and the rest of Western Province.There was congestion in Nyabugogo taxi and bus park yesterday due to an upsurge of students who were travelling back to school.Scores of students who had not booked in advance were left stranded.

Secondary school students yesterday started reporting back to their respective schools for the first term which opens today.

According to information from the Ministry of Education, the first batch that left yesterday comprises of students from Southern Province, Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts in the Western Province and those from Gasabo, Nyarugenge and Kicukiro districts in Kigali City.

The second batch, that goes today, is made up of students from Eastern Province, Northern province and the rest of Western Province.

There was congestion in Nyabugogo taxi and bus park yesterday due to an upsurge of students who were travelling back to school.

Scores of students who had not booked in advance were left stranded.

Anick Uwamahoro of Groupe Scolaire Mater Dei Nyanza said, "I booked a ticket last Tuesday to avoid delay in reporting to school. I booked one for 5.30 pm, I arrived here at 2 pm and I am waiting for the bus. My colleagues who were late missed buses they will come tomorrow,” she said.

Gloriose Mupenzi, a mother of six from Kanombe, who accompanied her child, said she had booked a ticket last week on phone at Horizon Express but, to her disappointment when they reached they were told they had no space left.

According to Issa Habarurema, a coordinator at Sotra Tour Service, the collaboration with the Ministry of Education to transport students in shift has eased the problem.

The State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Mathias Harebamungu in a meeting with transport agencies called upon transporters to help the  students reach to school on time.

The Ministry of Education also ordered the students to put on their school uniforms and have their identity cards when they go to school so that transporters could easily identify them.

The new academic year for primary and secondary school starts today.