Over 10,000 students asked to correct IDs to access exam results

Over 10,000 candidates who sat for 2021/2022 advanced-level national exams completing Senior six of general education, Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) and TVET have been asked to correct errors on their national IDs before the ministry of education releases the exam results. There are 70,000 candidates who sat for advanced-level national exams. Bernard Bahati, Director General of the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) told The New Times that every candidate will be required to use a National Identity card and index number to be able to access the results. “We have recorded over 10,000 candidates who sat for national exams without IDs and those who had IDs with errors. Both those to get new IDs and those whose IDs have errors to be corrected must submit their National Identity Cards, by November 30, 2022, to their respective schools to be registered in the School Data Management System (SDMs) before we release national exams,” he explained. He said the candidates had requested IDs to register for national exams but as the process to get IDs was delayed, they were later allowed to sit for exams as their rights. “Some candidates have names and ages in the school systems that are different from those on their IDs. We want to release exam results and their certificates with names that are on their IDs. The certificates and National IDs must be harmonized to have the same identification,” he said. Bahati said that they have engaged the National Identification Agency (NIDA) to give priority to candidates who were struggling to get their IDs corrected. Of 10,000 candidates, 6,000 have no IDs yet they should have while 4,000 candidates have IDs that have different errors that need to be corrected. “School leaders have to support the students where possible so that they will be able to access national exam results,” he noted. What candidates say Olive Uwiringiyimana, the candidate who sat for national exams in Bugesera district said that she was born in 2001 which is written in the school system but on her National ID it is written that she was born in 1999. “Before sitting national exams, we paid Rwf2,000 each to Irembo agent and the Director of studies collected our IDs saying they would be taken to NIDA for correction. We were also given codes that we would use to collect our IDs in the sectors we chose. However, when I reached NIDA and my sector last week, I realized that they never received my ID for collection. I called my school leader and told me that my ID is still at school,” she said. Now, Uwiringiyimana is supposed to collect the ID from her school and birth record document from her place of birth so that NIDA is able to correct the error. “NIDA should facilitate us because some of us are currently living far from where we were born in which we must get the birth record or document to prove our birth dates,” she said. Gloriose Uwase, another student said she collected the ID but it was still with the same error that had to be corrected. NIDA speaks out Josephine Mukesha, The Director General of NIDA told The New Times that specific days and staff have been dedicated to each province to give priority to candidates who need the IDs. “The students who need to correct names on their IDs have to go to any sector with P6 reports as proof of names,” she said. However, she said that those whose ages must be corrected on IDs must present supporting documents such as birth records and birth certificates to any sector so that the civil registrar takes the IDs to NIDA for correction. ID correction service is provided in the sector where the applicant resides with one of the above documents and a receipt of Rwf1500. Those to apply for an ID for the first time are required to have an application number (code), and a document proving her/his identification (school card, insurance card, or certificate issued by the Sector). “Currently we are serving those in the Southern province, the following week we will be in the western province. We will continue with Eastern province in the third week and the City of Kigali as well as the Northern province in the 4th week,” she said.

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Over 10,000 students asked to correct IDs to access exam results