It has been almost five years since the global Covid-19 pandemic that changed the norms of life as we knew it. Rwanda was one of the countries that encountered significant consequences from this pandemic. However, the aftermath brought about a noticeable change in the perception and adoption of digitalisation. Particularly in the education sector, schools embraced technological innovations to cope with the challenges posed by the pandemic. They adopted reliable systems, including e-learning platforms and communication channels to optimise operations and students' productivity online. As a result, technology was normalised and accepted more than before, leading to accelerated adoption of school management systems to ensure seamless communication, management and continuity in education. This shift not only helped during the pandemic but also set the stage for a more resilient and modern Rwandan education system. With high adoption of the platforms like Academic Bridge, Urubuto pay, KudiBooks and other management systems including government and bank owned systems, schools have been enabled to manage up on lesson planning, academic records, and tracking students/staff attendance and conduct. The systems also tackled persistent challenges in grading, reporting, communication with parents, school fees collection, and financial management. For instance, parents and guardians were traditionally unable to communicate with teachers and school administration regarding student performance and conduct. They had to wait for holidays or atleast visitation days to learn about the student's academic situation and conduct. Teachers struggled to record results, calculate student grades, and spent tiresome days and nights making report cards manually by hand. This would get very hectic. Administrators also lacked adequate reporting and evaluation systems. Additionally, finance departments struggled in collecting school fees from parents, following up, and recording the payments manually referring to bank receipts that parents and guardians had to necessarily present physically. In some cases, unethical students, parents and guardians would forge bank receipts, presenting one payment multiple times, and dodging payments was likely. The traditional system was generally prone to errors, mistakes, slow and inefficient operations. The digital systems became reliable, enabling most of the schools in Rwanda to automate learning, grading, reporting, and attendance tracking processes, and making it easier for teachers to focus on teaching instead of wasting time in the background tasks. Additionally, parents receive regular communication about student progress, and administrators optimise management and coordination of school operations. School accountants no longer have to spend sleepless nights in bookkeeping. E-payments, the payments made through these systems, are automatically recorded in every school’s accounting tool. This leaves less recording work, saving time and minimising errors. They are also able to send sms to remind parents to clear payments. This makes it easier and faster to collect school fees. As a result, financial tracking, reporting, and reconciliation became easier and transparent. Regarding school fees payments, the digital systems and their integration with banks benefit payers, usually parents and guardians, and students sometimes. By using student registration numbers, they have various payment alternatives and optionally use channels including mobile money, agents, banks, or internet banking applications at their convenience. Unlike traditionally queuing at banks for school fees payments, these systems made it easier, faster and time saving. With minimised queuing, banks similarly benefit from reduced congestion and traffic during the beginning of academic terms, thereby providing improved and swift customer service. The rapid adoption of these systems proved that technology can be a great tool. Some of the digital management platforms like KudiBooks and UrubutoPay have been adopted by other non-school organisations and businesses to revolutionise financial management. The rapid digital transformation of Rwanda's education sector has not only addressed long-standing inefficiencies but also paved the way for a more modern and resilient education system. By integrating technology into school operations, Rwanda has enhanced communication, streamlined administrative processes, and improved financial management, all while empowering teachers to focus on what truly matters: quality education. This shift has also benefited parents and financial institutions, creating a more efficient and transparent system for everyone. As Rwanda continues to embrace digitalisation, the country’s education sector stands as a model of how technology can be harnessed to overcome adversity and build a stronger future. The author is a Usability Specialist & Technical writer at KudiBooks, a cloud-based accounting software and payment solution.
