Nyagatare district wants Nyarurema E.T.P management suspended

EASTERN PROVINCE Nyagatare—After months of controversy, district and local officials in Gatunda sector are looking for the full replacement of the management of a computer engineering school over Genocide ideology.Nyarurema Ecole Technique Parouise du Nyarurema management are being criticized for allegedly harbouring the ideology to apply among punishments given to some students. ETP is a telecommunications and computer engineering school, based on and funded partly by the Byumba diocese. The district accuses school head teacher Father Lucian for being “rigid on decisions wrongly taken without principles” laid by the Ministry of Education, especially on the way students are suspended from school just after a slight mistake not deserving suspension. The conflict surfaced during closed meeting chaired by the vice-mayor for economic and development affairs, Nyagatare district authorities and security officials with Byumba diocese director for education.The meeting made a number of recommendations, including that current school management be replaced by the 2008 academic year and a new one installed that would work hand-in-hand with the district in implementation of national education policies.The meeting also directed the Byumba diocese director Dr Karengera Vincent to call back all students suspended from E.T.P Nyarurema with “lame excuses” to continue their studies. Security organs operating in the area have been assigned to conduct detailed investigations on a student who was suspended on allegations that he held Genocide ideology and also investigations that would not leave out teachers who were suspected of adding fuel to students holding Genocide ideology.In the recent past, the school has suspended students for what the district calls marginal mistakes. The meeting decided that no one students could be expelled without prior consultation with their parents.A dozen of old students who studied from ETP argue father Lucian Hakizimana, is “a complicated man” whom they believe holds Genocide ideology.Independent confirmation is not yet provided.District authorities also accuse Hakizimana and say that he carries out policies contrary to national education policies.Speaking on the matter, vice-mayor for economic affairs Anselme Majoro Rurangwa said some things were not yet decided, but an overall understanding had been found. “Collectively with Byumba catholic director of education we reached a consensus that the current school management will be replaced by fresh people who are willing to cooperate with district as far as implementations of the national education policies have fulfilled.” Recently, neighboring Gatsibo district the school management of Muhura Secondary were accused of conniving with students in planting Genocide ideology among students, which resulted in the closing of the school for a week. Desire Iraguha and Colonel Hirwa, both students in Senior-1 were tortured by fellow students earlier this year at the school when Iraguhas school bag and scholastic materials were defecated on and thrown into a pit latrine. Ends