Since April this year P6, S3 and S6 students have been undergoing an online registration process. Candidates are now registering themselves online, unlike before when they were expected to fill in hard copies.
The move by Rwanda Education Board in partnership with Irembo-Rwanda Online Platform Limited is expected to ease the registration process, save time, and reduce expenses the Government would have incurred on copying registration forms, logistics, and entering the data into computers.
Previously, at least Rwf 40 million was spent on copying, Rwf15 million on logistics, while over Rwf 50 million was spent on entering data into computers, according to REB.
A trial of the process was conducted in 2016 and 2017 and now, it is effective in all schools countrywide.
REB in February and March trained teachers on how to help students use the new method.
During an interview with the director of examinations management unit at REB, Desire Mazimpaka, he said that the development will accelerate the use of technology in schools and harmonise operations regarding national exams.
"Government would allocate a lot of money in the process. The money we’ve been spending is a lot and since the process is now online, no high costs will be required, meaning that the funds will be allocated to other government programmes,” Mazimpaka said.
To ensure that the process is running effectively, teachers and head teachers from primary and secondary schools were trained.
He said, "Previously, it would take a long time to finalise the process but now, for just a little over a month, we will be done with the process and have the exact of number of candidates sitting the 2018 national exams.”
It is also believed that the development will reduce the cases of students whose results are withheld because they failed to enter accurate data while filling in registration forms.
The process, which started April 23, is expected to run until the end of May, though the deadline may be extended in case schools ask for more time to finalise.
Referring to the academic calendar by the Ministry of Education, national examinations are scheduled to start in November this year.
Teachers share their views
Silas Mpoberabanzi, the head teacher at Ecole Primaire Kabeza in Rubaya sector, Gicumbi District, says that the school has so far registered 28 candidates who will be sitting Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in November.
Mpoberabanzi says that despite the challenge of lack of electricity and internet connection at the school, the development is a time-saver.
"The system will help us to effectively communicate with Rwanda Education Board without having to go to their offices in Kigali. Before, we used to submit the forms and in case there was any mistake, the forms were sent back for correction,” he says.
editorial@newtimes.co.rw