Demand for higher education keeps growing

Today being International Labour Day Education Times tackles an interesting subject; the pursuit for higher education beyond Rwanda’s borders. The increasing competition on the job market has literally forced those in offices to step out of their comfort zones in search of better qualifications. In order to keep their jobs many have resorted to studying over the weekends as they work during the week. Many such workers have been found to be crossing the Rwanda-Uganda border every weekend to attend lectures at the nearby Kabale University and Bishop Barham University College also in Kabale district, Uganda. The bigger story touches on why Rwandans are opting for foreign universities and the reasons for this clearly are many but the main one remains the pursuit for quality education that can make them more competitive on the job market. There is a belief that a degree certificate from abroad carries more weight especially when it is from Asia, Europe or North America. However many other students attend universities in the region and although many will claim that they opted for this in search of quality education some are just enrolled in order to get a degree certificate at the end of the day. Interestingly regional universities like Mount Kenya University have acknowledged the demand for education and opened branches in Kigali. And much as we may talk of students heading far for qualifications many are also heading to Rwanda for example those from the region who are now attending Carnegie Mellon University which opened a campus in Kigali. Oklahoma Christian University is also set to join the local education market. At the end of the day everyone is looking for a certificate so as to remain relevant on the job market. This pursuit for a higher education qualification happens locally and internationally.