Retrenched teachers cry foul

KIGALI - Teachers retrenched from different primary schools in Nyarugenge District have complained of unfair dismissal. At least 90 teachers have been retrenched in the district alone. According to the District education officer, Jean Damascene Ndagijimana, retrenchment affected those with indiscipline, at the age of retirement, and those who din’t meet required ministerial standards. “The Ministry of Education gave us an order to retain only teachers with a minimum standard qualification of senior six level (A2) and above,” Ndagijimana said in his office Friday. Teachers complain that retrenchment was done unfairly, alleging that some school headmasters dismissed qualified teachers contrary to the ministry’s criteria. However, State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Theoneste Mutsindashyaka, made it clear that teachers remaining with one or two years to retirement age should not be retrenched to allow them to get their pension. Information has emerged that some teachers were dismissed with no vivid reason yet they met the required qualifications.Eight teachers from Kimisagara Primary school have alleged that they were unfairly dismisedl from their jobs since January 14, 2009. “That Headmaster has divisionism. He had torn us apart as teachers and even segregated us. I have the same qualifications he has and I don’t see any reason for sacking me,” Aimable Sebagabo from the same school added. “Usually, when dismissed like this, you are given a six month salary as your package and paid the month you have been dismissed but none of these have been done,” Theoneste Ngirawonsanga another at Kimisagara Primary School told The New Times in an interview. Joseph Uwizeye the assistant Headmaster of Kimisigara Primary school dismissed all allegations by the affected teachers saying that all teachers dismissed did not meet either ministerial or district criteria. A list of teachers showing reasons for their dismissal has been filed at Nyarugenge District including the above two mentioned teachers. Ndagijimana, the education officer ,said that retrenchment was done in a transparent manner by a technical team that basing on information from the schools and sectors where the school are located. “We based on report jointly signed by the school headmasters and the sector Executive Secretaries and we decided as a team,” he added. On the query of no retrenchment packages for the teachers, Ndagijimana said that concerned parties were working on it. He explained that late last year, the Ministry of Education announced the reforms to be effected immediately by the beginning of this year’s academic year. New orders to retrench teachers were given to all districts to fit with the Nine-Year basic education policy. A technical team from the education ministry suggested a new formula that would be followed in all schools academically. A system of double shifts was introduced to enhance the nine years of basic education which requested all districts to have teachers equal to the number of classrooms plus an additional one teacher for the new formula to be effective. But the formula was found not to be effective and an emergency meeting between the ministry and the district officials was called to revise a better formula because teachers were lacking. The situation had worsened in various schools. The meeting resolved that another formula would be adopted to calm the situation. Ends