The Ministry of Education has pledged to supply 400 teachers with free laptops each year in order to boost their ICT literate skills and ease their work. The move was revealed during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations in Gasabo District yesterday, which was attended by teachers from schools across the district and government officials to honour teachers’ contribution in shaping and nurturing the country’s workforce. It comes to supplement the existing One-Laptop-per-Child and Smart Classrooms under which thousands of laptops have been given to pupils around the country. The Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Isaac Munyakazi, said it was part of the new competency-based curriculum where ICT literacy is one of the key components, which can help teachers acquire relevant skills and impart them to students. “Students can not acquire ICT-assisted knowledge when teachers are not familiar with them. In the last few years we focused on students, but now we want both parties to move together. We believe that by empowering our teachers in using those technologies at the end of the day students will benefit from it,” he said. Munyakazi explained that, based on financial constraints, the ministry can’t support all teachers at once. During the celebrations, teachers reminded the Government to review their salaries in line with the current standards of living. The minister told them that although he could not give them a timeline, it would be resolved He said teachers’ welfare has always been one of the government’s priorities which have been demonstrated through Umwalimu-Sacco offering low-interest loans to teachers compared to other financial institution, and as means increase, he promised that the issue of salaries would be addressed. Best performing teachers were awarded with Berthilde Mukangenera, a teacher at GS Kimironko 2, in Gasabo District, one of the two best teachers in Kigali walking away with a motorcycle and a laptop. Speaking to Saturday Times, she said teaching was her passion and never expected a reward. “Seeing my students perform well is my first reward, but also meeting them later in life leading successful careers is a plus. But also getting such national recognition is an honour that can even inspire other colleagues to do better,” she said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
