SENATORS have urged government to re-introduce Rwandan history in Primary and Secondary schools, saying it would help mitigate the problem of genocide ideology among the young generation. Senate Vice President Marie Mukantabana said lessons of Rwandan history had been suspended in schools in order to first include the most recent one, particularly the 1994 Genocide. Some say that the previous history curriculum was also divisive and did not help unity and reconciliation programmes promoted by the post-Genocide government. But Senators on Thursday said there was now need to urgently re-introduce history lessons that reflect the truth about the past of the nation, which lost a million of its people in the 1994 Genocide, following years of ethnically-divisive politics. The call was made in view of a similar recommendation contained in the 2006 report by the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), which has been under scrutiny in the Senatorial Standing Committee on Political Affaires, for days now. Senators also demanded that the government introduces the country’s history in all universities, as a way of building a genocide ideology-free society. They said such a move would ensure that Rwandan students embrace the culture of tolerance and peaceful co-existence. A survey conducted late last year by an ad hoc commission of the Chamber of Deputies showed that genocide ideology was still rampant in some secondary schools, and that some schools still taught divisive history. We need our history to be taught in all schools and universities as one of the measures to enable the youth better understand where we have come from and the future, Senator Joseph Karemera, the president of the senate commission said. Ambassador Karemera, a former education minister, also lauded NURC for making the recommendation, adding that if well implemented, it could go a long way in addressing one of the country’s main problems. The findings contained in a report by our counterparts (deputies) shows that our children are unaware of the dangers of genocide, which they need to understand so that they are able to prevent it, he said. Senator Antoine Mugesera explained that it was good to introduce such subjects in school curricula, saying it would serve as a foundation to fight genocide ideology. We must be proactive in fighting this cancerous ideology, he implored. The NURC report suggested that the national commission had done a lot in uniting Rwandans through such initiatives as solidarity camps where participants share the country’s past and how the country can forge a brighter future. Senators also supported the NURC’s recommendation to use land belonging to Genocide survivors for productive activities and use the money to cater for their needs. Mukantabana said the initiative would help improve the welfare of many survivors languishing in biting poverty. They urged NURC and other stakeholders to work hand in hand towards the attainment of the laid out objectives.Ends
