Over 2,800 students from refugee camps attended the primary leaving examinations, which started on Monday. The Ministry of Emergency Management said that they worked with Rwanda Education Board (REB) and a number of districts to ensure that refugee students attend national exams safely. The examinations are taking place in the midst of tight measures to control the surge in new coronavirus cases. Alexis Ntamunoza, a supervisor of examination centres in Mahama camp in Kirehe District told The New Times that there were enough facilities control possible transmission of the virus. “There are hand washing facilities, every room has sanitisers and social distancing has been respected,” Ntamunoza said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. Of 254,678 candidates registered for the national examinations, 2868 were students from six refugee camps located in different districts. However, on Monday, some refugee students were reported absent at exam centres in Gicumbi District due to their relocation to Kirehe District. The ministry confirmed that the students attended exams. “A total of 92 pupils whose families were relocated to Mahama Camp in Kirehe District are doing their national exams using registration number from Gicumbi District,” a communications officer at the ministry said on Tuesday. In Kirehe, 213 pupils missed the exams on Monday. Gerardine Mukandarikanguye, the Vice-Mayor of Kirehe District said that over 100 Burundian students returned to their country before the examination period. She added that some students were sick, stressing that none of them had tested positive for Covid-19. According to the ministry, 1,702 refugees registered for secondary school examinations which will be held next week. The total number of refugees living in Rwanda stood at 127,557 as of the end of May 2021. The refugees, of Congolese and Burundian nationalities, live in six camps, namely: Mahama, Gihembe, Nyabiheke, Mugombwa, Kigeme and Kiziba.
