KIGALI - Following a series of complaints, teachers who were laid off upon reaching retirement age are set to get their retirement packages by next month while those who were dismissed unlawfully will soon be reintegrated.

This was announced yesterday in Kigali by Dr Mathias Harebamungu, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) during a science fair in which teachers from different schools countrywide were trained on science.

Harebamungu blamed the previous problems of delayed payments on insufficient man power at the district level to gather records on teachers’ salaries.

"We will make sure that records for teachers’ payments are finalised this month and all the money will be dispatched to those above the age of retirement. Those who were dismissed contrary to the law will be securitised and reintegrated into the nine year basic education programme,” he said.

During the fair, over 80 teachers who represented their colleagues were equipped with knowledge to creatively utilize locally available resources to solve problems and make decisions to improve quality of life.

Locally made electric stoves and other teaching aides to demonstrate the theories that were taught in science subjects, especially electricity and mechanics were also show cased.

"This is one way of promoting science and technology. You should all take an active and effective role in promoting science,” Harebamungu appealed urging them to always link science and mathematics education to technological skills and society needs.

Under the initiative of MINEDUC, a baseline survey by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) identified the need to strengthen mathematics and science education in secondary schools.

"We will continue to support for the brighter future of Rwanda in presence of your strong initiative and ownership. This will also become a strong symbol of the friendship between Rwanda and Japan,” said Murakami Hiroshi, the resident representative of JICA.

The science fair started in developed countries like Japan and Malaysia and finally reached neighbouring countries such as Uganda and Kenya and in all these countries, the target has been students.

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