Get competent head teachers, Mayors told

EASTERN PROVINCE RWAMAGANA — The Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, Theoneste Mutsindashyaka has asked district leaders in the province to get competent head teachers who will successfully implement the recently launched Nine-Year Basic Education. Mutsindashyaka recently addressed local leaders who included Provincial, district Mayors and district directors of education, at Avega Office in Rwamagana district, where he went to drum up support for the new education system. The meeting aimed at making all local leaders have same understanding and know their role in the implementation of the programme. The new education programme mainly aims at lowering school dropout rate. Students will now attend the first part of their secondary studies at the schools where they completed primary education. “A country cannot succeed with bad education system, being the reason we opted for the 9-year Basic Education Programme and the use of English. It is to make Rwandans competitive at labour market in the country, region and internationally,” Mutsindashyaka noted. He pointed out that education committees should be formed to monitor the primary schools which have been upgraded to accommodate secondary section. The committee will review the challenges faced by the schools, according to the minister. At the meeting, Mayors stressed the need to increase classes and reduce teaching hours for each teacher so as to have better output. It was also noted that there are few Science teachers in villages. The first batch of students who are studying under the 9-year Basic Education Programme joined their respective secondary schools across the country this academic year. The programme combines the 6 years of Primary and the 3 years of ‘O’ Level. Also, Cumulative Grade points from the past scores will be used to determine the performance of pupils during the 9 year Basic Education plan, while at A’ Level, each student will be required to specialise in the subjects they performed best at ‘O’ Level (Core Subjects) and eventually study the same at university. A total of 130,272 students sat PLE in 2008 while 48,960 sat for O’ Level exams in the same year. Ends