MINEDUC to award best science students

The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) is set to reward students who excelled in mathematics and other science subjects for the last three years. The initiative covers all levels from Primary to A- level finalists to motivate them to work hard and to create a spirit of competition. According to the ministry, the rewards program was initiated in 2005 by a presidential decree number 11/01, however, since 2007, no rewards had been distributed. Students who are rewarded must have scored 80 percent and above in science and mathematics subjects in the national exams and other competitions organised by MINEDUC. Those who score 95 percent and above, get a laptop, scholarship, and scholastic materials, up to 90 receive a laptop and a scholarship, 85 percent get scholarships and text books while those with 80 percent are awarded scholarships. These students are, however, supposed to maintain the same level of performance while at school in order to retain the scholarships. Speaking to The New Times yesterday, Emile Uwamahoro, a literacy expert in MINEDUC, said that they were considering revising the policy since very many things have changed since its inception in 2005. “When it was introduced, there was no Nine-Year Basic Education Programme where children study for free, which means that the scholarship element no longer applies to the lower secondary level,” said Uwamahoro adding that even the A-level students bursaries are catered for by SFAR. He however, said that all those students who qualified since 2007 would be awarded according to the previous arrangements. The official added that they were waiting for the Rwanda National Examination Council (RNEC) to avail them with the 2009 list of students before rewarding all categories.The total number of students who qualified for the rewards in 2007 and 2008 is 2,037. Ends