National examinations kicked off Monday, July 14, beginning with TVET practical exams involving 23,395 candidates.
The finalists include 1,935 private candidates.
The national exams, the first to be conducted in two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic which forced school closures last year, were officially launched at Don Bosco Gatenga TVET Centre in Kicukiro, Kigali.
Father Innocent Gatete, the headteacher of Don Bosco Gatenga TVET Centre, said students had been studying hard and were given all the necessary help they needed during their studies especially considering the impact of Covid-19 on schools.
On Monday, TVET students did four practical exams. Up to 34 TVET practical exams will be conducted over the next two weeks, with the final paper due on July 3.
A total of 12,568 schoolgirls are due to sit TVET practical exams, constituting 46.2 per cent of the total number of TVET candidates. The exams are being conducted at 149 centres.
Minister lauds teachers, school administrations
"The practicals that are being conducted here today are plumbing and masonry with 12 students,” he said, adding that the plumbing exam would last the longer of the two exams, a whopping seven hours. Masonry was to be done in about five hours.
TVET exams were also conducted at different other centres, with the other courses examined on Day I of the exams including culinary art and electricity.
A panel of four supervisors were to assess each student’s work and allocate marks.
Claudette Irere, the State minister for ICT and TVET, who presided over the official launch of this year’s TVET national exams, said that despite the challenges that the students faced through a tough academic year, she was confident they are ready for the exams and expected good performance from them.
"We availed all the materials they needed in their studies and exams, we put in place a system that allowed students to study while at school (during lockdowns),” she said.
She said the Covid-19 restrictions adopted since March 2020 had helped contain the virus both in school and communities, while authorities did their best to minimise pandemic-induced disruptions in the education sector.
"I thank all the teachers and school administrations for helping students in such a difficult time and preparing them for the examinations and putting in an extra effort in following up on them,” the minister said at the Kicukiro-based TVET school.
TVET stands for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), a largely hands-on training system that has increasingly gained traction among Rwandans in recent years.
‘Ready for the labour market’
Bernard Bahati, the Director-General of the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA), the government had spent Rwf3 billion in the preparation of TVET practical examinations.
"We give money to schools way before the examinations so they can buy the necessary equipment that would be used during the examinations and also to enable the candidates to prepare for the exams,” he told The New Times shortly after the exams had started.
Alice Ikuzwe, a plumbing student from Rulindo District who was the only girl due to sit her practical exam at Don Bosco Gatenga TVET Centre, said she was prepared for the national exams.
"I feel I am ready, not just for the national exams but for the labour market as well,” she said. "I chose plumbing so I could help improve water supply, especially in my hometown.”
Students from 210 TVET schools registered for national TVET practical exams.
Meanwhile, TVET theory exams are set to start on July 20, with primary and secondary school candidates due to begin their national exams on July 12 and July 20, respectively.
More TVET students registered for national exams this year compared to 2019 when 19,862 finalists did their finals.
A group of invigilators inspect how students do their practical examination at Don Bosco Gatenga TVET Centre in Kicukiro District.
A student during the practical national examinations at Don Bosco Gatenga TVET Centre in Kicukiro District on June 14.
A TVET student during the practical national examination at Don Bosco Gatenga TVET Centre in Kicukiro District on June 14.
Claudette Irere, Minister of State in charge of ICT and TVET officially launches national examinations, the practical segment for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.
Students collect some basic materials to start the exam at Don Bosco Gatenga TVET Centre in Kicukiro District.
The exams were launched at Don Bosco Gatenga TVET Centre in Kicukiro District, Kigali.