Venantie Mukabutera, a parent from Bumbogo Sector in Gasabo District, once believed it would be impossible for her child living with a disability to attend school like other children.
For years, her child stayed at home as peers went to class, largely due to the shortage of schools equipped to support learners with disabilities.
She said the biggest challenge was finding a school with trained teachers and appropriate facilities.
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"If my child had been able to move, some schools might have supported him,” she said. "But he could not move, and attending school was not easy.”
Her situation changed when her child enrolled at Love with Actions Academy, a school that caters for children with disabilities who are often excluded from mainstream education.
The academy is equipped with accessible chairs and chalkboards, and combines academic instruction with physical and occupational therapy. Learners are also provided with a daily hot meal.
The school has four classrooms and teachers trained to support learners with different forms of disability.
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"My child is in Primary One. The school also has a bus that transports children with disabilities to and from school,” Mukabutera said, noting that transport remains a major challenge for many families.
Clementine Tuyisenge, another parent, said her child stayed at home for years while other children attended school.
"When a school for learners with disabilities was introduced in this area, my child managed to join,” she said.
She explained that her child had previously enrolled in a mainstream school but dropped out due to stigma.
"She would be surrounded by other children because of her condition, and that discouraged her from continuing,” Tuyisenge said. Her child is now also enrolled at Love with Actions Academy.
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Dancile Nyiransekuye said she lived with constant anxiety about her child’s future.
"I had no support to access both treatment and education for her. Her legs are impaired, and she is receiving treatment. She has now joined a special needs academy,” she said.
While these experiences highlight progress, parents say many children with disabilities especially in rural areas remain out of school.
Limited numbers of special needs schools, a shortage of trained teachers, inadequate infrastructure, and persistent stigma continue to hinder access to education.
To improve access, five special schools for children with disabilities and severe intellectual challenges are set to be constructed across all provinces, according to information obtained by The New Times. The schools are expected to serve learners who cannot yet be accommodated in mainstream settings.
About 40,000 learners with disabilities
An assessment conducted by institutions including the National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), the National Union of Disability Organizations in Rwanda (NUDOR), UNABU, the TVET Board, and the Ministry of Education shows that enrolment of learners with disabilities remains low.
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Currently, learners with disabilities account for about 0.9 per cent of the total school population—38,937 out of 4,159,782 learners nationwide.
In primary education, learners with disabilities make up about 1.1 per cent of enrolment, while in secondary education, including Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the proportion drops to 0.6 per cent.
In 20 TVET schools assessed in Bugesera and Nyabihu districts, enrolment of learners with disabilities stood at just 0.5 per cent, underscoring persistent barriers to skills-based education.
The Ministry of Education has announced plans to double enrolment of learners with disabilities in primary schools from 40,324 to 80,323 by 2029.
Under the Education Sector Strategic Plan 2024–2029, Rwanda also aims to increase pre-primary net enrolment from 39 per cent to 65 per cent, including children with disabilities.
Emmanuel Ndayisaba, Executive Secretary of NCPD, commended organisations investing in inclusive education.
"Besides education, such schools also provide additional support, including meals. No child should be locked at home. Community members should report such cases so that children with disabilities can receive support,” he said.
Gilbert Kubwimana, Founder and Executive Director of Love with Actions which established the academy for children with disabilities, said the school has been accredited to offer education from nursery to primary level.
"We currently have 106 learners with disabilities. We are accredited by NESA and continue working with families to improve the welfare of the children,” he said.
In promoting inclusion , he organises an annual Christmas celebration every December for children with disabilities and their families.
" This also serves as a powerful platform to raise awareness across Rwanda. Many families still hide children with disabilities due to stigma yet every child has value and potential," he said.
Accessibility and learning outcomes
Data from the Ministry of Education Statistical Yearbook shows that accessibility remains a challenge. The proportion of schools meeting accessibility standards declined from 69.1 per cent in 2023 to 68.0 per cent in 2024.
Although enrolment of learners with disabilities rose by 5.29 per cent—from 40,342 in the 2022/23 academic year to 42,476 in 2023/24—these learners still represent only 0.9 per cent of total enrolment.
Learning outcomes also reveal disparities. The primary-level pass rate for learners with disabilities stands at 68.1 per cent, compared with the national average of 96.8 per cent.
Education experts say this gap highlights the need for adapted learning materials, targeted academic support, and teachers trained in inclusive education.
Data and assistive technologies
Education stakeholders have also called for stronger disability-disaggregated data and wider use of assistive technologies.
NUDOR recently completed an assessment on integrating academic performance indicators for learners with disabilities into national education statistics, identifying gaps in data collection and planning.
"Learners with disabilities cannot fully benefit from education without the right data and targeted support,” said Mary Kobusingye, Head of Special Needs and Inclusive Education at the Ministry of Education.
Rene William Ngabo, Executive Director of Rwanda Assistive Technology Access, said assistive technology is essential for inclusive learning.
"Without assistive technology, many learners with disabilities are left behind,” he said, citing tools such as screen readers, captioning, wheelchairs, white canes, and digital learning devices.
However, he noted that most assistive devices are imported and expensive, and many teachers lack training to use them effectively.
Esther Ntakirutimana, an Inclusive Education Specialist at NUDOR’s Zero Out of School Children Project, said data has been critical in identifying children previously excluded from education.
"Data helps us identify children with disabilities who are out of school and understand the barriers they face,” she said.
Despite Rwanda’s strong policy framework on inclusion, activists say challenges persist, particularly in TVET institutions, where access, training, and adapted curricula remain limited.