The first phase of the 2021 national examinations got underway on Monday, June 14, with thousands of candidates in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) segment beginning their exams. This is the first time in two years that the national exams are being held after schools were forced to close for long periods last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is also the first time that national examinations are taking place under a new supervisory body, the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA). The new organ came into existence only three months ago, taking over part of the mandate of the Rwanda Basic Education Board (formerly Rwanda Education Board) and the now-defunct Workforce Development Authority (WDA). The latter has since been replaced by the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB). The structural reform in the education sector is part of a broader effort to streamline the different institutional roles and mandates that previously either created duplication or conflict of interest, all of which undermined quality of education. For instance, REB and WDA were practically playing the role of regulator, implementer, inspector and examiner for conventional education and TVET systems, respectively, which made little sense and undermined the principle of checks and balances. Equally, that the examination and inspection functions for both conventional and TVET were being handled by two separate entities, potentially with varying benchmarks, was a challenge as far as quality and accountability were concerned. Today, however, the roles are clearer with each public educational institution’s work cut out for it. Both REB and RTB are concentrating on the training and learning side of things in the respective sub-sectors, with NESA charged with the inspection, assessment and certification responsibilities across the board. This is pertinent especially in light of the many unanswered questions that have lingered for long, around the issue of quality education in the country. Meanwhile, given the unprecedented challenges related to Covid-19, we wish to pay special tribute to all teachers, school administrators, authorities in charge of education both at the central and local levels, as well as support staff for playing an important role in ensuring that schools generally remained safe and continued to offer a friendly learning environment for students. And, as the national exams commence, it is our hope that these players will continue to do everything necessary to ensure that candidates and other students receive the support they need to remain focused and positive during the exams. Parents, too, have a big role to play especially for day-scholars. We wish all candidates success!
