A digital system to improve the management of school textbooks, including their distribution, use and quality assessment, is expected to be introduced in early 2027, the Director General of Rwanda Education Board (REB), Nelson Mbarushimana, has said.
The system will help the board keep records of textbooks distributed to schools, monitor how they are used and collect feedback from teachers on learning materials, as part of efforts to improve accountability and address gaps in textbook management.
ALSO READ: Rwf14bn needed annually to address book shortage in schools – REB
"If we distribute 1,000 books to a school such as GS Kicukiro, the system will record how many books were delivered and when they were distributed. It will also help us monitor their use and determine when they need to be replaced,” Mbarushimana said.
Mbarushimana was speaking during a discussion between Minister of Education Joseph Nsengimana and the parliamentary committee responsible for social affairs, education, technology and youth on Tuesday, October 20. The meeting focused on Auditor General’s reports on audits conducted at REB and Rwanda TVET Board (RTB).
ALSO READ: Education board to reduce student-textbook gap by 2025
The system will also allow teachers and other education stakeholders to share feedback and suggest improvements to learning materials through a digital platform.
REB is working with the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) and district authorities to strengthen oversight of textbook management. Education inspectors at sector level will help check whether schools implement recommendations made following feedback on learning materials.
ALSO READ: Textbooks worth Rwf1.8 billion rendered ‘useless’
Textbook quality under scrutiny
The discussion also raised concerns about the quality assurance process for textbooks and curriculum guides after errors were found in some learning materials.
Minister Nsengimana said follow-up checks had established that the books containing the errors were older materials that were no longer in use, including one produced under a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) project in 2016-2017.
He said feedback from teachers on textbooks currently in use had not revealed similar errors, but added that the government would consider involving independent reviewers in assessing learning materials.
"We need to make the best use of the limited resources available to us and ensure they are properly managed and shared,” Nsengimana said.
He said the possibility of involving institutions other than REB in checking textbook quality could be explored to strengthen the process.
School leaders to be assessed
Mbarushimana said textbook management would also be incorporated into the evaluation of school leaders expected to begin in early 2027.
The assessment will examine how school leaders manage textbooks, ensure teachers and students use them appropriately, and make sure they are returned after use.
He said REB had tested school leaders’ performance last year, seeking to establish whether their leadership had contributed to improvements in their schools over time.
Mbarusimana indicated that challenges involving textbooks and other equipment had highlighted the need to strengthen accountability at school level, he said.
The planned system will help document how learning materials move through schools and how they are used, giving REB a clearer picture of management gaps and areas requiring intervention, he added.