Scores of students fail to enter government schools

SOUTHERN PROVINCE MUHANGA — A number of parents in Muhanga district say their children who sat for Primary Leaving Exams have not been admitted into government aided secondary schools despite attaining the cut-off marks. Some of the aggrieved parents and affected students on Friday stormed the district education office to question the criteria of admission. Emerthe Nyirahabimana, one of the students claims she obtained an aggregate of 17 but she was left out. “I expected to see my name on the list, but I have not been selected and I don’t understand the whole system,” she said. Claude Sebashi, the district education director explained that most of the parents who were complaining didn’t understand the new systems of grading. According to Sebashi, the cut off points were stiff and those who were left out did not qualify. He however, said such students will be absorbed in the 30 newly established Ecole Secondaire Inferiore (ESI’s). According to education officials, those selected attained aggregate 1 to15 for girls and aggregate 1 to 13 for boys from primary school. While at advanced level the cut off point was between aggregate 1 to 44 for girls and 1 to 37 for boys. The selections were done last week by the head teachers, about a week after the release of national examinations results for primary and ‘O’ level. Ends