12-YBE preps in final stages

The Ministry of Education has announced that preparations are on course to have the first batch of students benefit from the 12-Year Basic Education (12-YBE) programme. According to the Minister of State in Charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Mathius Harebamungu, 77,602 students who finished S.3 last year, will be the first beneficiaries of the programme. “88 percent of the required infrastructures are in place. We plan to have 92 percent of all classrooms ready and equipped by February 15,” said Harebamungu. He added that the remaining 8 percent of the remaining structures include rainwater collection facilities. 45 percent of the required toilets have been constructed and the remaining latrines will be constructed before the end of February, he added. The 12-Year basic education programme was part of President Paul Kagame’s manifesto during the 2010 campaigns. According to the minister, biogas facilities are being constructed in 15 secondary schools and are scheduled to be completed soon. “46 laboratories have also been set up in 23 schools, while syllabi have been distributed to all schools that will implement the 12YBE,” Harebamungu added. Among the students to benefit from the 12YBE include, 41,905 who will be joining General Education, 3,880 joining Teachers’ Training Colleges, while 31,996 will enrol into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools. The government also intends to hire 3,122 teachers for both General Education and TTCs. Meanwhile, Harebamungu said that, currently, every primary school pupil has at least four text books, and that 766,974 new books have been distributed in primary schools. “About 1,935,997 books of English, Kinyarwanda, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, History, Geography, and Entrepreneurship will be distributed in O-Level, while 314,800 books will be distributed in A-Level,” he stated. edwin.musoni@newtimes.co.rw

National

12-YBE preps in final stages