4,000 English teachers to be recruited by February

English teachers that were meant to be recruited by the Ministry of Education at the start of this academic year, which starts next week, are now expected into the country next month. According to the ministry, the teachers will all be recruited from Kenya. The recruitment is being facilitated by both governments at the ministerial level in collaboration with Kenya’s Teachers’ Service Commission, and Rwanda Education Board. This was revealed yesterday by the State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Mathias Harebamungu. According to the minister, the teachers are being recruited to train their Rwandan counterparts how best they can improve their English proficiency, both spoken and written. He noted that the ministry intends to deploy at least one teacher at every school (primary and secondary) across the country. Each would be responsible for training teachers in the English subject. This is part of the implementation of the government policy of using English as the language of instruction at all levels of education in the country. “We have been conducting English training for teachers at end-of-year holidays (November and December), which was not giving us the desired output, hence hiring these people,” Harebamungu said. He said that having qualified English teachers based at their respective schools will no doubt improve the tutors’ English, which they will impart to their students. According to Harebamungu, the hired teachers will have open contracts; “we will only discharge them after our teachers have mastered the language.” Harebamungu also noted that apart from teaching the teachers, those to be recruited will also organise drama and English debate competitions in their schools to improve students’ confidence in the language. Meanwhile, the minister dispelled rumours that the Kenyan teachers will be paid as expatriates, saying that none of these teachers will exceed a monthly remuneration of Rwf200,000. He added that there are also over 200 English teachers from Uganda who are currently teaching English in the country. In a phone interview with The New Times yesterday, Rose Muchiri, the High Commissioner of Kenya to Rwanda, said they are working around the clock to ensure that the teachers arrive as soon as possible. “I am optimistic that this process will be completed very soon, courtesy of the existing good bilateral relations between our two countries” Muchiri said. steven.mugusha@newtimes.co.rw

National

4,000 English teachers to be recruited by February