The Minister of State for Education Claudette Irere has urged teachers to attend government-funded English proficiency training, noting that the programme will not continue indefinitely. ALSO READ: Inside Rwf32bn plan to boost teachers’ English proficiency Speaking during the celebration of International Teachers’ Day held on Friday, December 12, in Kirehe District, Irere said more than 15,900 teachers had been enrolled, yet a significant number remained inactive or off track. Only some 4 per cent of primary school teachers currently meet the B2 (Upper Intermediate) level of proficiency and about 38 per cent of secondary school teachers meet the required standard, according to the ministry. ALSO READ: English tests: why teachers face possible dismissal “Only a small share are performing at the highest level, while more than a thousand have not enrolled at all,” the minister said. “Yet many of those who ignored the training were given time, guidance and all the necessary resources.” Rwanda currently has 133,029 teachers, including 15,190 administrative staff. Of those enrolled in the English language training programme, 9,151 are secondary school teachers, 6,042 teach in primary schools and 724 are in pre-primary. ALSO READ: World Teachers' Day: Rwandan teachers speak about passion, challenges The ministry’s data show that 9,130 are off track, 2,934 inactive, 2,006 on track, 1,100 not yet enrolled, while only 821 are performing well. “The government will not always spend money on training that teachers choose to ignore,” Irere warned. “The opportunity you were given will not be there forever. These programmes are meant to improve the quality of teaching, and we expect responsibility and commitment.” She stressed that English proficiency remains crucial to improving learning outcomes, particularly in upper primary and secondary schools, where the language of instruction strongly affects student performance. Gender gap in school leadership Irere also raised concern about the gender gap in school leadership, where women make up just over a quarter of leadership positions. Out of more than leaders 5,000 evaluated this year, fewer than 1,400 are women, despite consistently higher performance scores. Evaluation results show women excel in both head teacher and deputy roles and are less likely to fall into the poor-performing category compared with their male colleagues. “These results show that despite women being underrepresented, they lead with exceptional consistency,” she said. The minister added that the government remains committed to quality education through English language training, remedial learning, the Zero Out-of-School programme, and regular performance evaluations for teachers and school leaders.
