Students who once dropped out of school say their absence from classrooms was not solely due to a lack of essentials, but also a combination of challenges including long distances, household responsibilities, peer pressure, and limited parental support. These realities were highlighted during a visit by Baroness Chapman of Darlington, the UK Minister of State for International Development and Africa, to G.S. Kirebe in Gakenke District on October 9. The Minister, accompanied by a delegation from Rwanda’s Ministry of Education, visited the school to assess the implementation of the Out-of-School Children and Youth (OOSCY) component under the UK-funded Learning and Inclusion for Transformation (LIFT) programme. The initiative aims to reintegrate over 10,000 learners into the education system. The 2022/23 Education Statistical Yearbook showed a reduction in the dropout rate for both primary and secondary education. In primary schools, the dropout rate dropped from 7.1 per cent in 2020/21 to 5.5 per cent in 2021/22, while in secondary schools, it decreased from 9.2 per cent to 7.5 per cent during the same period. ALSO READ: How Rwanda plans to tackle repetition, dropouts, overcrowding in primary schools Florence Twizerimana, a 15-year-old Primary Four pupil whose dream is to become a teacher and who loves mathematics, dropped out of school for two years due to a lack of basic necessities. During that time, she was often given heavy household tasks. Although she sometimes thought about returning to school, she couldn’t until she received support from the LIFT programme through the proper channels. “Later, I realised that I was missing out on a lot, and I was lucky that my parents understood why I needed to go back to school. I now have support, and my studies are much better than before,” she said. Twizerimana admits that the long distance to school and lack of essential materials are common reasons why many students drop out. The ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Education and its partners, including the Learning and Inclusion for Transformation (LIFT) programme, which the latter aims to bring more than 10,000 students back to school across the country. ALSO READ: School feeding campaigns reduce dropout rates, spurs community engagement G.S. Kirebe is part of over 800 schools in seven districts supported by LIFT, a UK-funded programme. Jean-Baptiste Nsengiyumva, a Senior Four student studying Languages at G.S. Kirebe in Gakenke District, returned to school after eight years away. He had dropped out in 2012 when he was in Senior One. Until his dropping out, he had been performing well academically, but his peers convinced him to quit, saying that “not every successful person is educated.” His parents took no action to encourage him to return to school. “My friends convinced me to stop going to school so that we could earn money through different activities. I didn’t want to quit, but I eventually did because of peer pressure,” he said. “I didn’t gain anything from those eight years,” he noted. “If you can work all that time and still have nothing to show for it, I’d say it was time wasted, something I truly regret now.” “I don’t think that when a child shows some weakness, the solution is to tell them to quit. That’s a poor mindset. They should be encouraged to keep going and eventually succeed,” he said. “I’m now doing well in my studies. I’ve realised how much I lost. To others, I would say, no matter the negative influence, stay focused on pursuing what can bring real change, not just short-term activities that lead nowhere,” he added. ALSO READ: One digital solution tracks school dropouts in Southern Province Silas Bahigansenga, LIFT Team Lead, said that through the partnership with MINEDUC, the focus is on lower primary schools and supporting students who dropped out to return to school. The programme provides comprehensive support to all learners, and for those unable to return, it provides alternative learning pathways to help them live productive lives through other activities not necessarily tied to formal schooling. “It’s just a year since we started, and the programme runs for five years. It has already shown good results, as many students have been brought back to school, and we are maintaining the momentum,” he said. Bahigansenga noted that LIFT focuses not only on students but also on teachers, aligning its work with Rwanda Education Board’s Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework and implementation guidelines for education stakeholders, including district education teams. “We started in seven districts; Gakenke, Gasabo, Kirehe, Gisagara, Rusizi, Karongi, and Ngororero and we are considering expanding to more. The minister’s visit aimed to evaluate the programme’s implementation and discuss the way forward to strengthen collaboration and achieve even greater results,” he said. In addition to its work with schools and government institutions, LIFT collaborates with Civil Society Organisation (CSO) grantees who play a critical role in community-level engagement. These CSOs conduct outreach to identify out-of-school children, raise awareness among parents and caregivers, and provide tailored support to help learners re-enter and remain in school. Their efforts include home visits, community dialogues, and working with local leaders to address barriers such as stigma, poverty, and gender-based challenges. Nelson Mbarushimana, the Director General of REB, said that MINEDUC’s goal is to ensure that every child who completes Primary Three can read, write, and count. He added that partnerships are also providing textbooks and training aimed at strengthening inclusive education. “We’re working closely with LIFT. School dropouts are caused by several factors, including family-related issues. LIFT has been instrumental in addressing these negative attitudes by raising awareness among parents.” he said.
