The cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame on Wednesday called for a speedy construction of over 3,000 classrooms to facilitate the Nine Years Basic Education (9YBE) Programme.

The programme that kicked off early this year will be short more than 3000 classrooms for the start of the next academic year in January 2010.

According to the minutes of the meeting, ministers requested all concerned authorities to double the rate at which classrooms are being constructed so that they beat the January deadline.

Meanwhile, the same meeting also endorsed a preamble bill regarding the agreement between government and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) together with the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) involving US$35m to support the government’s policy reforms aimed at improving the quality of basic education.

Specifically, the grant will support teachers’ development, establishment of a framework for the implementation of decentralised procurement and school level selection of text books and implementation of the girl child education policy.

The availability of US35m will give a major boost to the education sector especially in increasing the number of teachers and their capacity.

In a related development, the Minster of Health Dr. Richard Sezibera informed the cabinet that so far 226 people have been infected with the N1H1 influenza commonly known as Swine Flu.

However he added that strict measures have been put in place to contain the spread of the influenza and so far 70.5 per cent of those patients have been treated and are in good condition.

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