Governor meets Rukara students over bursaries

Kayonza- The Governor of Eastern Province, Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, has urged students of Rukara College in Kayonza District, to try and fend for themselves after the scrapping of living allowances. The Governor was leading a delegation of officials in the Province who visited the school yesterday. She was reacting to complaints from students who said that waiving of bursaries reduced the possibility of their staying in school. The Governor said that suspending part of the bursary was done in order to boost the lower primary and secondary education in the country. She stressed that students should know that change is inevitable, especially, when circumstances dictate so. “It is simple logic; only 1% go for higher education, leaving 99% for lower education. We can’t condemn a community and country to ignorance...I can’t thus lobby to reinstate living allowances,” she told the students. The Governor further challenged the school and students to use the over 28 hectares of land for production. She warned them against indiscipline that characterised some of their predecessors. “For instance, if you involved students in production and used biogas for cooking, cost of food shouldn’t be an issue. Some of your arguments make you a laughing stock...and remember you are either building or destroying, there is no middle ground”. Damian Ntaganzwa, the Vice Principal of the college, reminded the students that higher education is a right as well as a privilege. He said that students should start thinking differently, and look for jobs to top up what the government pays for them. “Tuition fee is entirely catered for by the government...living allowance is little money students can work for, to complete their studies. Work in gardens, farms, restaurants...this is how some of us survived while studying in Europe,” he said. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Kayonza District, John Mugabo, told the student community that the issue of scarcity of water is about to be solved. He said that generators will soon arrive from Belgium, to pump water from two nearby water sources. “As I said during the campaign, a school like this one, a hospital, secondary schools and the community in this area, must have access to clean water. Everything is thus in place to get water in 30 days from now,” he said. Rukara College is affiliated to Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) and offers diplomas in Education. Ends