REAP Selected to Participate in Rwanda’s 2015 Joint Education Sector Review

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 On November 12, 2015, the Government of Rwanda and its partners, including REAP, sat down for a annual review meeting to assess progress in improving the quality of education in Rwanda and set priorities for next year.

Various stakeholders and partners in education attended the meeting, namely: The Minister of Education, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Director General of Rwanda Education Board, Workforce Development agency, and UNICEF, to name but a few.

Educational Non-Governmental Organizations have their collective voice in the RENCP (Rwanda Education NGOs Coordination Platform) and only 15 of them were selected to represent the rest in the Joint Sector Review. REAP was one of the 15 selected!

 Key issues that were raised:

  • ·The Education (%) share of the national budget continues to decrease and is well below the 20% recommended by the Global Partnership in Education (GPE).
  • The recent statistics showing growing drop out and repetition rates at primary and falling transition rates to lower secondary emphasis the need to ensure that funding to pre-primary and primary education is critical.
  • The Learning Achievement in Rwandan Schools assessment was conducted and completed and results will be shared and analysis of these results will be used to inform planning.
  • The need for in-service Continuous Professional Development days are going to be critical for the success of the new Competency Based Curriculum, English language improvement and skill development of teachers to ensure quality.
  • With implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum in January/February 2016 there are concerns about the supervision, smooth transition, single shift of instruction versus required competencies, management, monitoring, evaluation and accountability of the new curriculum.

Education Top Priorities for 2016-2017:

  • Increasing Access and participation in the following areas
  • Pre-primary education
  • Retention in primary
  • Technical and Vocational Education and Training
  • Improving quality education (implementation of new curriculum through teacher training for pre-primary, primary and secondary, teaching and learning materials, training of trainers in Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and awareness campaign on Rwanda National Qualifications Framework (RNQF);
  • Establish a National Educational Assessment and rehabilitation Centre for Special Needs Education at University of Rwanda- College of Education;
  • Infrastructure development and equipment (From pre-primary to secondary schools, UR campuses);
  • Implement Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Master Plan in Education and promote sciences and Maths education at all levels including Research Institutions and Centres of Excellence (ICT infrastructure development, provision of devices, construct and equip labs’ development of digital content).