PHOTOS: Rwf5.9bn project to train 43,000 teachers in ICT

A new $7 million (about Rwf5.9bn) project financed by the Republic of Korea is set to help equip 43000 primary and secondary school teachers with ICT skills in all the districts of the country. Kim Eung- Joong Ambassador of the Republic of Korea speaks to the media during the event. KOICA Country Director LEE Byunghwa and Minister Gatete exchange the documents after signing. The project dubbed “Capacity Building for ICT in Education” (CADIE) was announced yesterday in an event where the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Rwanda Kim Eung-joong and the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Claver Gatete signed the grant financing agreement. The project will run from 2017 to 2020 implemented by the Rwanda Education Board. It will focus on capacity building of 43000 primary and secondary school teachers as well as 446 district and sector education officers regarding using ICT in education. (L-R) Ambassador Kim Eung-Jong , Minister Gatete and Minister Munyakazi during the signing event was held at MINICOFIN yesterday. Isaac Munyakazi, the State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education gives some clarifications to the journalists as REB boss Janvier Gasana looks on. This training will be conducted within 60 centres of excellence for ICT in education located in all districts across the country which will also be supported by this project. “As we try to embark on new vision 2050 and vision 2035, there is no way we can achieve whatever we have set for ourselves without education. Education and training is going to be very critical and we need ICT as an enabler in this,” said Minister Gatete at the signing event. Ambassador Kim Eung-joong also noted the role of education in national development, citing the case of Korea which was among the poorest countries in 1961 but as of 2016 was the world’s seventh largest exporting country. Kim Eung- Joong Ambassador of the Republic of Korea and Minister Gatete exchanges the documents. Isaac Munyakazi, the State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education greets Kim Eung- Joong Ambassador of the Republic of Korea. According to Ambassador Kim, Korea focused on training teachers and has been able to achieve such high economic growth in a short period of time. “Korea is not plentiful in natural resources but had only human capital like Rwanda. Education proved to be the most powerful tool. Korea has placed the greatest priority on the development of high quality labour to meet the need of the market,” he said. (L-R) KOICA Country Director Lee Byunghwa and Ambassador of Korea Kim Eung-Joong follow Gatete as he talks to the media during the event. Isaac Munyakazi, the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education said that the project supports the country’s vision of a knowledge based economy, “The vision of our country is a knowledge based economy. Which means we have to build education starting especially from the basic foundation,” he said. Korean diplomats and Rwandan officials during the signing event between both countries. Minister for Finance and Economic planning Claver Gatete chats with Korean diplomats before the signing. He added that ICT is one of the components that help complement the different things the government is doing. “We started the programme of ICT in education but it requires equipment, infrastructure and we are grateful for this programme because it has come to help us build the capacity of the teachers educating our children. We cannot think about giving ICT to children when we have not thought about those teaching them,” he said.

News

PHOTOS: Rwf5.9bn project to train 43,000 teachers in ICT