The Government’s move to increase the salary of primary school teachers by 88 percent and that of secondary school teachers by 40 percent effective this August, is expected to improve their welfare, retain teachers and contribute to quality education, Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente has said.

He was speaking on Monday, August 1, while presenting the Government activities in basic education under the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) to both Chambers of Parliament. NST1’s first phase runs from 2017 through 2024.

Ngirente told parliamentarians that the decision to raise teachers’ pay was approved last week by the Cabinet meeting after considering teachers’ financial means, welfare and the link between that and the quality of education.

The Cabinet, he said, realised that the 10 percent that the Government had been adding to the teachers’ pay every year was small and did not make significant difference, and decided to raise it. 

Ngirente explained that the increase will be based on the current starting pay for a teacher.

As such, he indicated that the move will see the monthly salary of a freshly recruited primary school teacher go up from Rwf57,000 to Rwf108,000; and that of a secondary school teacher [holding a bachelor’s degree] from Rwf170,000 to Rwf245,000.

For secondary schools, those eligible for salary increment are the university degree holders – with A0 and A1 levels.  

Talking teacher turnover

Ngirente indicated that the education sector loses about 1,000 teachers every month over low pay.

Also, the Premier observed that the Government was spending Rwf300 million per month or Rwf1.2 billion per annum on recruiting teachers to replace those who have left the education sector.

"You realised that one of the factors that was leading to that problem include small salary [which we have increased now], where a primary school teacher would leave the teaching profession to be a motorcycle taxi driver. We think that this will not happen again, thanks to the 88 percent salary increase,” he said.

"We hope that teachers are going to be stable,” he observed.  

Also, the Premier said that the development will increase teachers’ borrowing capacity, adding that the Government allocated Rwf5 billion more to the Umwalimu Savings and Credit Cooperative (Umwalimu SACCO) so that they will be able to get loans.

"We hope that teachers’ welfare is going to improve thanks to this decision, and that the teacher will continue to seek loans from Umwalimu SACCO and be able to develop. That’s what we want as the Government, to ensure that a teacher provides education while they are secure and have an income which enables them to provide for themselves and their family,” he said.

In 2016, the National Union of Teachers in Rwanda (SNER) requested that the  monthly minimum salary Rwf80,000 for a primary school teacher.  

The union argued then that such a minimum pay could somehow help a teacher meet their basic needs such as meals, transport, and accommodation.

And, currently, the cost of living has gone high, which necessitates even a higher minimum wage.

A welcome move

Speaking to The New Times, Stephanié Mukangango, the General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers in Rwanda said that the salary increment implies valuing a teacher and education in the country in general.

"This shows that education is taken care of, and that the quality of education that the country wants will really be achieved…now a teacher is happy,” she said.

Currently, she said that the teachers were finding it hard to make ends meet, but that [some] teachers were committed to carrying this profession on.

Overall, MPs lauded the Government’s move which they said is in line with improving teachers’ welfare and ensuring an enabling environment for students to get quality education through motivating teachers.

MP Gamariel Mbonimana said that primary and secondary school teachers’ salary rise "will restore the education profession’s standing, and make those who do it have respect.”

To ensure quality education, Mbonimana said "there is a need to recruit quality teachers and retain them,” pointing to the need to increase teachers’ salaries gradually as one of the retention strategies.  

 The statistics shared by PM Ngirente show that the number of primary school teachers went up by 45 percent from 41,573 in 2017 to over 60,000 currently, indicating that this resulted from the increase in the construction of new schools and recruiting more teachers for better provision of education. 

For secondary school teachers, the Premier indicated, they increased from 21,000 in 2017 to about 28,500, implying a 35.7 percent rise.