It is just a fortnight before the 2020 academic year for primary and secondary schools starts amidst several changes within the education sector. The changes include the shift from Kinyarwanda as the medium of instruction in lower primary. The “profesora” system designed in a way that each subject has its own teacher, from primary one to primary three, was also stopped. In addition, some teachers are still in a dilemma on whether they will continue teaching or government will hire new ones with more qualifications. This is coupled with the late release of the national examinations, which has worried some students and parents. However, during yesterday’s event where the Rwanda Education Board (REB) released the results for national exams for primary six, senior three and teacher training centres, the government moved to allay the public concerns. Dr Irenee Ndayambaje, the Director-General of REB, said that there was no need to worry about the late release of the results. “We have thought about this lateness before. But it was due to the digitization of the results,” he said. Due to digitization, he explained, the students already know the combinations they will pursue and the schools they will go to. “So, there is no need to wait for the selection process for schools and the combination,” said Dr Ndayambaje. He also stated that even those who want to appeal will do it online. The Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Schools in the Ministry of Education, Dr Isaac Munyakazi, was cautious on the proposed commencement dates for former national candidates. “We realise that it is too quick for national exam candidates to start now, therefore we have added one more week for them. As such they are not going to school on January 6, like the rest, but on January 13,” said Munyakazi. Stakeholders react Tony Kuramba, from the public transportation regulator - Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) - said that on December 24, 2019, they held a meeting with transport operators and agreed to give priority to students the school commencement period. “We agreed with transport operators to provide adequate transport to students…make to make sure the students are transported fast and safely,” Kuramba said. The Commissioner of Police for Traffic and Road Safety Department, Commissioner of Police (CP) Rafiki Mujiji, assured that traffic police was prepared for the upcoming academic year. He disclosed that during the school commencement periods, public transporters are overwhelmed by the number passengers, prompting drivers to over speed in order to make more trips and more money. “What we want is the drivers to drive responsibly, without rushing. We also tell them not to overload the cars because it leads to accidents,” he said. However, he urged students to be on time and put on their school uniforms.
