Senate approved a draft law establishing Rwanda Education Board (REB) after it had determined its responsibilities, organization and functioning. The draft law establishing REB had been scrutinised and approved by the Lower Chamber in June. While explaining to the Senators, the Minister of Education, Charles Murigande said that the draft law aims at bringing together all bodies that have been working under the ministry of education into a single autonomous body. “Bringing together these bodies will help ease work because they will have put all their efforts together and it will help them work more efficiently,” said Murigande. The organs that will be amalgamated into new body include; the Rwanda National Examination Council (RNEC), the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), the Students Financing Agency (SFAR) and the National Inspectorate of Schools. Sen. Valence Munyabagisha expressed concern on the size of the body and wondered whether it would meet its obligations. Sen. Rwigamba Balinda questioned whether educational institutions within the private sector educational had been consulted when government formed the body. Murigande defended the merger move saying it was the most efficient way of running such institutions. He assured the Senators that the government had involved the private sector in coming up with the body. Senators also expressed concern about the amount of time spent by students who finish A-Level and given a one year vacation. “That gap was caused by the need for students to study languages before starting school in 1997, so solving it would need to sit with universities and see if they can increase their capacity to have a double intake in a single year in order to close that gap,” Murigande said. Ends
