The government is stepping up efforts to strengthen day secondary schools and make them more competitive and attractive to parents and students.

The move is part of broader reforms aimed at ensuring that students receive quality education regardless of whether they attend a day or boarding school, according to education officials.

They said the focus is particularly important because the vast majority of students completing primary and Ordinary Level education are placed in day schools, while only a relatively small proportion secure places in boarding school.

This year, for instance, only 17,412 students progressing from primary to Senior One were placed in boarding schools, compared with 226,546 assigned to day schools, according to figures from the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA).

The figures mean that more than 90 per cent of students transitioning from primary to secondary school will study in day schools.

For students progressing from Ordinary Level to Advanced Level, 18,944 representing 40% were placed in boarding schools, while 57,276 were assigned to day schools.

The situation is similar in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), where 2,698 students have been placed in boarding schools compared with 17,747 in day schools.

The numbers have renewed the debate over parents' preference for boarding schools, which education officials say is partly driven by the reputation some boarding schools have built over the years.

Making day schools a choice

Joseph Nsengimana, the Minister of Education, said the government wants to change the perception that quality education can be offered only by boarding schools.

He said the government is investing in day schools so that they can provide an education experience comparable to that offered by well-performing boarding schools.

"We want to empower those day schools and ensure they are also attractive,” Nsengimana said in an interview with the national broadcaster RBA.

He said the government was particularly concerned about the large number of students who want to attend boarding schools despite the limited number of available places.

"Many of these students want to go to boarding schools because of the reputation they have built, but that reputation does not always match the reality,” he said.

"There are day schools which teach well and perform well in national examinations," he added.

The minister said empowering day schools is necessary to ensure that students have equal opportunities to access quality education.

"We want to boost the quality of teaching in day schools as it is in boarding schools. These are things we need to look at so that all students have equal rights,” he said.

The government is also reviewing resources available to schools, including the capitation grant, to give schools greater capacity to improve teaching and learning through structured teacher training.

More funding for schools

Jean Claude Hashakineza, the Director General of Communication at the Ministry of Education, said the government has developed a broader package of reforms aimed at improving the operation of public and government-aided schools and strengthening the quality, efficiency and sustainability of the education system.

"One of its central objectives is to reinforce day schools so that they have the resources required to provide quality education and compete more effectively with boarding schools,” Hashakineza said.

As part of the reforms, the government has adjusted the capitation grant for day schools to reflect the rising cost of essential school operations.

The total capitation grant budget is expected to increase from Frw28.8 billion in the 2026/27 financial year to Frw48.5 billion, Hashakineza said, adding that the revised rates will take effect in January 2027.

The official said the additional resources will support essential school operations, teaching and learning materials and facility maintenance.

The increased financing is expected to give schools more room to address some of the challenges that can affect the quality of learning, particularly access to adequate teaching and learning materials and maintenance of school facilities.

The challenge, however, goes beyond increasing funding.

Schools also need effective leadership, qualified teachers, appropriate infrastructure, strong academic programmes and a conducive learning environment to translate the resources into better outcomes.