The Ministry of education will soon release a list of teachers and head teachers whose misconduct is costing the country’s system significant losses. The Minister of State in Charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Isaac Munyakazi, told The New Times yesterday that the move is part of the measures being taken to deal with some of the issues that the sector is grappling with. It was informed by one of the resolutions from the just concluded national leadership retreat where leaders resolved hold school leaders accountable for poor leadership and embezzlement of school funds. “We are holding them accountable. We will not tolerate anyone who is impending the efforts and resources that are being put in making sure that Rwandan children get the quality of education that they deserve,” he said. Munyakazi said that a review of the school leadership and teachers’ management had revealed that there was a level of indiscipline and malpractices, adding that it was time to start rooting those implicated out. “The list will have names of people who we have proof have done these things. In some cases for example, you find that some computers are being stolen from schools and some of the teachers are involved. Why should we keep them, when there is proof of their wrongdoing?” he wondered. He warned that this will not be the only time a list publicly naming suspects will be released because this, he said, is not an isolated move but a continuous one. Investigating theft In early January, teachers from over 739 schools in the country were quizzed on missing computers, most of which were stolen from their schools. The computers fall under the One-Laptop-Per-Child and the Smart Classroom initiatives, two projects that have seen up to 69,982 computers distributed to schools around the country. According to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), in 2018 alone, 100 computers were stolen from schools but overall, 939 computers have so far been stolen. Speaking in an interview with The New Times, Christine Niyizamwiyitira, the Head of ICT Education at Rwanda Education Board, said some teachers and students were currently under investigation. “Computers are stolen and you don’t see any broken doors. It means that somebody with a key had opened,” she said. The government has spent Rwf23 billion on the distribution of ICT equipment in schools in recent years. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
