How The Rwanda Education System Came Into Existence

By Jennifer Butler


A total of 52 countries makes up a continent known as Africa. Most of these countries are struggling to liberate themselves from chains of postcolonialism by embracing change. Adopting culture from western countries has proven to be inevitable simply because modern standards keep popping up. To improve their statuses and remain relevant in the corporate arena, they have always emphasized on embracing technological advancement. It is clearly evident that Rwanda education system has continued to grow.

Back in the early 1900s, Rwanda relied on family to provide informal education for its people. It involved training in military, warfare, artwork, basket making, and blacksmith courses. This went on until 1960 when formal schooling was introduced to pave way for construction of schools thanks to Belgian census. It helped in classifying people based on ethnic lines. Only the main group known as the Tutsis had the brilliant chance of enrolling in the good schools, unlike the Hutus. Marginalization of resources led to the civil war which paralyzed its economy. Something had to be done to maintain peace and promote efficient systems to run it.

The system tries to emphasize on equal distribution of resources to favor each child. It has led to exposure among students who want to acquire basic education. In fact, they have managed to set up numerous classrooms to cater for all students who keep enrolling. Also, they have managed to provide their students with learning materials and competent teachers to help them in achieving their dreams.

Rwandese schooling system as the embraced use of modern technology right from junior primary schools to tertiary institutions. Its national strategy involves information and communication technology to emphasize of ICT. In each class, students are taught how to use computers to solve daily problems. In fact, it is a general requirement for each student to own a laptop which is part of their project.

The Rwandese educational system is run by 6 years for primary school, 3 years for junior secondary, 3years for senior secondary and 4 years for the tertiary level system. It operates in three languages including; English, Kinyarwanda, and French which is taught as a supplementary subject in preprimary schools.

Improvement in quality of education has led to an increase in graduates. In fact, more than 44,000 students are admitted into universities each year. They are allowed to enroll in science, law, and art related courses as partial fulfillment for their careers. The system has put in place measures that understand the plight of teachers.

The country has managed to construct a total of 31 universities; 17 of which are public and 14 are private. Each university is fully equipped with resources to enable students to learn better. This measure has led to continuous growth since productive citizens are absorbed into the industry.

It is evident that Rwandese citizens are still going through s healing process after the genocide. Their best alternative is to embrace change and wipe out their fears. By adopting modern standards form of education, it has managed to secure a good future for most upcoming adults within its environs. This explains why people should understand these details about the system to make the best decisions.




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