Editor, Refer to the article, “Economic development inspired new schools curriculum, educationists say” (The New Times, April 23). Being a capacity development practitioner, focusing my work on Rwanda, I cannot find enough words to express my gratitude to those who have been and/or are still involved with this change. Too much knowledge-based education would simply continue producing more and more university graduates who cannot find suitable work, in their fields of study, in today’s job-market environment whether it is in Rwanda or abroad. In the current context of Rwanda, we need more people with practical skills than “intellectuals”, for God’s sake. There are many “intellectuals” (as people tend to call university graduates) who will end up not being properly equipped to compete in today’s job-market environment, in Rwanda or even abroad. Other countries (Asian Tigers) have done it; why not us in Rwanda? I strongly believe with an education policy such as this one that is being implemented, we are on the way of achieving one of our EDPRS2 objectives. Kudos to REB and the Ministry of Education who are working hard to make this change happen. Dev ************************* Rwanda’s economic development will never be realised unless Rwandans learn to focus on themselves and their immediate surroundings as their only real and unique source of wealth — not financial aid by foreigners in one way or another. They must focus on their body, their mind, synchronise them with their physical, social and cultural environments, both traditional and contemporary, as their primary capital to tap into. In my humble view, this ought to be the only aim of a really successful Rwanda schooling system, instead of training our youth to become just skilled and competent performers, ‘workers’, ‘jobbers’, and ‘a lot of money making’ entrepreneurs. It’s not wrong to draw inspiration from other people around the world, both present and past, but this has to be integrated into home-based and initiated local innovation capacity training in all aspects of life. Independent thinking, and acting for own survival; that is what innovation is all about. That is what every child at successive age phases ought to be learning, and that is what our society badly needs at this time. Francois-Xavier Nziyonsenga
