School bursars urged to be transparent

SOUTHERN PROVINCE HUYE — School bursars in the country have been urged to be transparent in their work. The call was made by Ministry of Education officials, while addressing school bursars representing different provincial schools, who are undergoing school management training in the Huye district. According to Andre Gaparayi, the coordinator of the School Management Programme in the Ministry of Education, the training is meant to build the capacity of school bursars to efficiently execute their duties. “School bursars play a key role in budget planning, budget implementation, preparation of financial reports, management of school materials and property and in the preparation of income generating projects. They therefore need basic skills and competence in these areas if they are to successfully execute their duties. This is what this training has provided them with,” said Gaparayi. Participants were urged to always broaden their professional skills using training manuals provided to them, ensure transparency in their work and forge a team spirit with colleagues in the same line of work. Johnson Ndayambaje, the Inspector of Schools in the Province, said school managers will no longer have excuses for producing shoddy work. “Participants have revealed mind boggling testimonies about how they previously conducted their duties. We hope that through this training, knowledge and skills constraints have been done away with. We look forward to an efficient system of school administration because all stake holders now know what is expected of them,” said Ndayambaje. Talking to The New Times, several participants hailed the training, saying it would boost their management skills.The school management training programme organised by the Ministry of Education will see the training of over 700 secondary school bursars countrywide. It follows a similar training of 694 secondary school directors and over 3,000 directors of primary schools in the country. Marie Yvonne Ntivuguruzwa, a school bursar at the Ecole Secondaire de Ruhango said the training was timely. “The training has equipped me with basic skills in record keeping and guidelines to follow in maintaining a sound daily accounting system,” she said, adding that she was also equipped with budget preparation skills. For Elie Kalisa, a bursar at the College Adventiste de Gitwe in Ruhango district, said this training was an eye opener to the role he is expected to play in school affairs. “I have learnt that my role in school administration goes beyond financial issues. I am an educator and therefore I have an obligation to play an active role in the teaching and learning activities in my school,” said Kalisa. Similar training sessions are being held in the Eastern Province district of Bugesera. Ends