The Rwanda School Directory (RSD), a new digital platform, has been launched to provide parents, students, and educators with easier access to reliable information about schools across the country. The platform, brings information about schools from pre-primary to university level into one platform, allowing users to search for schools based on information such as location, academic programmes, facilities, school leadership, contacts, fees, combinations and other relevant details. It was officially launched on August 7, with its founder and chief executive officer, Marianne Ineza, saying it was created to address gaps in access to information about schools. “The idea came when there was a gap in accessing school information because most schools do not have social media platforms or regularly update their websites. It can therefore be difficult for people to get information easily,” she said. Ineza said she started developing the platform with the aim of addressing that gap, adding that more than 1,200 schools have already been listed. “We are currently working to include all schools and provide enough information so that users can easily access what they need. Our goal is to have all schools on the platform,” she said. Sheccalled on schools across the country to work with the platform by providing accurate and updated information about their institutions. “Starting from now, we want to work with all the schools to register them so that by the beginning of the next academic year, all schools can be on the platform,” she said. She added that the platform would continue working with schools to collect and update information, with the aim of keeping the directory accurate and useful to users. According to Ineza, It is intended to reduce the need for parents and students to travel from one school to another simply to obtain basic information, while also helping them make decisions based on information provided by the schools themselves. Ministry welcomes initiative Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Jean Claude Hashakineza, the Director General of Communication at the ministy commended Ineza for the initiative, describing it as a contribution to the development of the education sector. He noted that the platform could reach a large number of people, particularly when parents, family members and friends who may need school information are taken into account. Hashakineza said the Rwanda School Directory goes beyond the information currently available through the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA)'s platforms called ireme. He, however, urged the platform's manager to ensure that information published about schools is verified, particularly their accreditation status. “The information should be verified so that the platform only lists accredited schools,” he said, warning that inaccurate information could mislead parents and students when making decisions about where to study. Hashakineza encouraged the founder to continue developing the initiative, saying that having more than 1,200 schools on the platform is a positive start given the number of schools in the country. Parents, schools see value Testimonials shared during the launch highlighted the challenges some parents face when trying to obtain information about schools attended by their children. Participants said that, in some cases, parents may have limited information about their children's schools and may only learn more about the institutions after enrolment. They said a platform providing detailed information could help parents prepare better before choosing a school and make more informed decisions. The directory provides information including a school's geographical location, type of school, available opportunities and programmes, staff numbers, school fees, combinations and the history of the institution, among other details. Leonce Ndashimye, head teacher of EAV Ntendezi in Nyamasheke District, said the platform had already helped increase awareness of his school. “More people are now getting to know about our school. We receive calls from people asking for more information after seeing the initial information available on the platform,” he said. Ndashimye said his school would continue working with the platform to provide more information and ensure that the details available to users remain updated. Innocent Manzi, vice-principal of Muhabura Integrated Polytechnic College, described the platform as a solution to the challenge of accessing comprehensive information about schools. He said having complete and accurate information was important because parents, guardians and students need reliable data when making decisions about education. “The availability of full and accurate information is necessary to support data-based decision-making,” Manzi said. He added that the platform could make it easier for parents and students to compare schools and make choices based on the information available to them. The RSD is now seeking to expand its coverage by working with more schools and encouraging them to provide verified information for publication.
