Rwanda Education Board (REB) Dr Director Irénée Ndayambaje, together with other top administrators of the institution have been suspended for failure to co-ordinate the ongoing teacher recruitment process, the Prime Minister’s Office has said. 

Alongside Ndayambaje, Angelique Tumusiime the Deputy Director-General, REB, was also suspended. 

Also suspended is James Ngoga, Head of Teacher Development and Management Department at the same institution.

"The following officials have been suspended from their duties for failure to properly manage and coordinate the ongoing teacher recruitment process,” the Prime Minister’s Office announced in a tweet. 

The genesis

Early this year, the government embarked on a journey to recruit more than 7000 teachers to improve the student to teacher ratio.  The ratio currently stands at 57:1. 

At the time, REB conducted exams for the teachers but they were later dismissed over claims that the exams were not properly managed. 

The exams were then recalled to offer the teachers a second chance but also ensure that the exams are now properly conducted. 

The teachers were supposed to do their exams this year in July. 

However, in order to be able to cater to the more than 22,500 classes being constructed across the country, the ministry increased the number of teachers to 29,000.

Most of the teachers were supposed to be placed in their respective schools before November 2, when schools would resume physical classrooms. 

When asked about the progress, Ndayambaje told The New Times on Sunday, November 1, that a total of 4,616 new teachers had been provisionally placed in schools pending the final appointment. 

This is also sparked a debate in which teachers, including headteachers who had sat for their exams last year, said that they have not been recruited even after they were denied to re-sit for their exams.

Last week it also emerged that more than 1,500 teachers were working without legal documents, reflecting weaknesses in the recruitment process.