Education changing again? Yes, and here’s my two cents…

At the Ministry of Education, we’re always changing, sometimes quietly, sometimes loudly, sometimes with raised eyebrows from the public. (Yes, changing: pun slightly intended.) But you’ve got to hand it to the system: there’s something admirable about the constant effort to do better. And maybe this time, we could actually be close enough to really making it better for good. ALSO READ: 10 things about reforms in public higher learning institutions’ structure Notice I said “we.” In my newest call of duty, I have been learning quite a few things from the amazing team over here, and trust, I’ll be spilling tea from that vantage point from now on (wink). ALSO READ: Gov’t needs over 26,000 new classrooms to end double shifts On to nos oignons (today’s agenda); the latest education changes seek to address some of the most long-standing gaps in the system: class overcrowding, rigid subject combinations that box students in too early, and an education system that has, at times, struggled to keep pace with the changing world around it. Rwanda’s Vision 2050 sets an ambitious goal: to become a high-income country with a workforce that is not only smart and skilled, but globally competitive. But it’s difficult to reach that destination when over 1.1 million young people remain outside school, training, or employment. And so, the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) is one of the frameworks intended to help close that gap, by improving what we teach, how we teach it, and, most importantly, who has access. One of the most practical reforms is in lower primary. When I was in primary school, my school operated on what we called “double shifts”; where one group of learners attended classes in the morning and a second group came in for afternoon classes. Many schools still operate this way, especially in densely populated areas, but the curriculum was never truly adapted to fit the model. In my time, we were expected to cover eight periods’ worth of content, even though our actual time in school was significantly less. Teachers had to rush, and most learners were often left behind. The new reform adjusts the timetable to five periods per day, aligning teaching time with what’s actually possible. Basically, creating space for lessons to land, for teachers to teach at a reasonable pace, and for learners to learn without being overwhelmed. Upper secondary school is also getting a much-needed rethink. I, like many others, did the traditional MCB combination: Math, Chemistry, Biology in A’ level. Not necessarily because it reflected my interests, but because it sounded impressive and parent-approved. Nobody really asked what I wanted to do or become. I eventually found my passion elsewhere, through school clubs and extracurricular activities that were never considered part of the “serious” curriculum; debate club, school media, writing random poems in my then diary! Now, things are changing. Schoolchildren will be able to choose broader pathways: general education, professional education, and technical education. Whether your strength lies in sciences, languages, accounting, agriculture, or hospitality, there’s space to grow into your interests, not just your grades. That shift matters. Equally important is the introduction of the Alternative Learning Pathways (ALP). This initiative is designed for young people aged 16 to 30 who dropped out of school due to teen pregnancy among other reasons, had to work early, aged out of the system, or never had access in the first place. And it’s not a three-week crash course. It’s actual education, with proper certification. It’s almost a loving statement that says, “You haven’t been forgotten.” ALP offers certified education and vocational skills through flexible models: weekend classes, online modules, community centres. In a country where over 30% of youth are not engaged in education or training, this isn’t a small fix. It’s a second chance, and in some cases, the first real one. Reforms also focus on teachers, because no system can succeed without them. Many of us have sat through classes where the teacher was teaching in English...but didn’t speak English (yeah!) well. We sat in those classes confused, pretending to follow, knowing, deep down, that no one was making it out with clarity. The new ‘Teacher Proficiency Program’ is intended to change that. It focuses on language skills, pedagogy, and integrating technology into the classroom. If we expect students to thrive in a digital, global world, then teachers must be equipped to lead them there, across all schools, not just the best-resourced ones. And then there’s infrastructure. This is deeply personal for many, who studied in schools where buildings were cracked, where it rained more inside than outside. Latrines were unusable, and textbooks were rare treasures. Some rural classrooms still face these realities today. So, yes, investing in physical spaces, access to electricity, internet, and basic learning materials might not sound revolutionary, but it is. Especially when it reaches the students who need it most. Will it all work? Yes, if we (as a country) choose to make it work. Rwanda has shown, time and again, that when we commit to a goal, we follow through. These reforms have every chance of succeeding, just like other bold moves we’ve made before. But we’ll need more than policy. We’ll need a shift in mindset. Teachers will need to embrace new methods, and parents will need to support learning beyond the classroom. We’ll need to talk about it, write about it, tweet about it, each of us spreading the word in our own way – because reforms don’t succeed in silence. They grow in understanding, in effort, and in community. Let’s go on to prove, once again, that Rwanda works.

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Education changing again? Yes, and here’s my two cents…