Schools, parents across the country are racing against time as they prepare for the new academic year, set to begin on September 8. With less than two weeks remaining, schools are busy with activities including sanitation, classroom preparation, and teacher meetings, while finalising school supplies and planning for the new academic year. ALSO READ: Kigali's school calendar set to be adjusted as UCI comes to city The New Times visited some of them to witness the ongoing preparations. In Kigali, at Groupe Scolaire Shango, a nine-year basic education school located in Nduba Sector, Gasabo District, sanitation works were underway as the reporter arrived. According to the headteacher, Valentine Nyirahabimana, meetings with teachers on timetables and expected enrolment have already taken place. ALSO READ: Are schools ready for Rwanda’s new learning pathways? “On Monday, August 22, we had a meeting with the teachers about the timetables and the expected number of students. Last year, we had 2,405 students, and we project around 2,500 this year,” she said. She added that the school is also preparing food stocks for students. “We are waiting for the delivery of foodstuff this week,” Nyirahabimana noted. ALSO READ: Travel plan announced ahead of new school year At Collège du Christ-Roi, in Nyanza District, preparations are already complete, according to the headmaster, Innocent Hakizimana. “We have two learning pathways: Maths and Sciences, and Arts and Languages. We already have teachers to meet the new requirements, including philosophy, history, and psychology,” he said. Hakizimana explained that most preparations were finalised right after the end of the previous academic year. “Sanitation, classroom arrangement, and procurement of supplies, especially for food material, were completed in advance. We are now ready to welcome the students,” he said. The secondary school expects to receive 240 new students in Senior One and Senior Four, bringing the total to 750 students. ALSO READ: Schools 94% ready for new subject combination system At GS Muhero, a twelve-year school in Gahara Sector, Kirehe District, the preparations are ongoing, though some classes have not registered any students yet. The school, which previously had Mathematics Economics and Geography and History, Geography and Literature in English combinations, has introduced new subject requirements. Its administrator said they are still waiting for additional teachers. “The challenge here is that in Senior Four, there are no students placed yet. We might expect some of those who were initially placed in boarding schools but cannot afford the costs to return. For now, however, we have none in both pathways,” Eric Musirikare, the headteacher, explained. “We need a physics teacher for the Maths and Science combination and a philosophy teacher for Arts and Languages. We hope to have them by the start of the term,” he explained. Meanwhile, the school is still registering learners in the nursery, primary and Ordinary Level sections.
