Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) on Tuesday started an exercise to donate computers to five schools under the 12-Year Basic Education (12-YBE) programme. Each will receive ten computers.The exercise that started in Kigali has so far benefited Groupe Scholaire Rutunga in Gasabo district, and the remaining schools will be selected from the four remaining provinces.RRA Commissioner General, Ben Kagarama, said his institution also has a responsibility of contributing towards quality education.“We want to make sure that even students in rural areas can easily access or get used to ICT; being a key factor to education development,” Kagarama said.He said learning or early use of computers for students not only helps facilitate learning, but also opens up learners’ understanding about current affairs around the world with the help of internet.RRA will also donate printers and connect the schools to wireless internet. Like students of schools which have already benefited from the One Laptop Per Child government programme, students of Groupe Scholaire Rutunga are optimistic the computers will bring a new and favourable learning environment.“We already have solar energy here, but the problem has always been lack of computers as the one we have couldn’t serve the entire school,” said Godfrey Niyonzima, an S2 student. The school has over 400 students.Other students told The New Times that their computer studies have mainly been theoretical and that they are hopeful the donation might bring more practical lessons.They also noted that theoretical studies are not sufficient to make them competent in using computers as well as competing with their counterparts in urban schools, some of whom own laptops.The headmaster of Groupe Scolaire Rutunga, Jean Baptiste Habanabashaka, thanked RRA, promising the students more practical studies.“At least with these computers, there will be a clear plan or timetable that teachers must respect, specifically for the practical computer lessons,” he said.
