How did your district perform in the exams?

Results of the 2013 primary and ordinary level examinations, released Thursday, saw Gasabo District dominate in terms of schools that produced top students countrywide as well as students who topped nationally in various subjects.In Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), Gasabo produced six of the top 10 students nationally.Among the schools that performed well in the district was Kigali Parents School that produced four of the top 10 students.The school principal, Charles Mutazihana, attributed the performance to the model employed by the school of having an inclusive participation of parents and teachers in pupils’ motivation.“This ensured pupils are motivated. We also carry out programmes that cater for pupils’ individual needs and ensure they are all at the same pace,” he said. Out of the 6,671 candidates registered in the district, only 402 failed to sit the national examinations.The district also produced top performers in English, Mathematics and Social Studies, with average performance in only Kinyarwanda, which was dominated by Gakenke District in Northern Province.Horizon Primary School, also in Gasabo, maintained a stellar performance, producing one of the top 10 students countrywide.All candidates at the school for the last three consecutive years have been passing in Division One. In the 2013 exams, all the 90 candidates from the school passed in Division One.“The school has nothing special that other schools do not have; it’s about the commitment to follow up on the performance of every pupil individually,” the principal, Alodia Nyirandegeya, told Saturday Times.Asifiwe Habinshuti Guerrison got aggregate 5 at Horizon Primary School.Both his parents and the school say they kept an eye on him since he started school six years ago.Justin Yambabariye and Rose Nyiranzabamwita, Habinshuti’s parents, said their son was guaranteed everything he would need to study comfortably. They ensured he concentrated on his studies and went for leisure only for ‘refreshment’.“We have seen him improve from grades of 60 per cent from Primary Three to 90 per cent in Primary Six,” said Yambabariye.The family said a child needs to pay attention in class, but also to have an evening teacher for some revision.O-Level rollIn the O-Level Category, Gasabo District also dominated in most subjects and in the top performers.Nu Vision was among the star performers in the district. The district is also home to schools that performed well in Mathematics and Science subjects.Well Springs Academy, a private school in Gasabo, for the first time had students ranked among top performers.“We have been giving students a conducive learning environment and also keeping them motivated through constant follow-ups,” the principal, Martine Muhongayire, said.Meamwhile, Rwamagana District dominated Elementary Science and Technology, while Ngororero District has the highest number of candidates who did not sit their PLE, with 490 students missing the exams.Bugesera and Kirehe districts also had large numbers of candidates miss out on the examinations with 439 and 350, respectively.Kicukiro and Nyarugenge had the lowest number of candidates who missed out on the examinations with 66 and 125 students, respectively.Lycée Notre dame de Citeaux in Nyarugenge District produced two best students in O-Level.“The secret to succeed is simple; managing one’s time appropriately, and discipline,” Sister Helene Nayituliki, the principal, said.Meanwhile, Nyagatare District was in the news for bad reasons after an incident that caused the cancellation of 139 students’ examinations results due to allegations of malpractices.Rwanda Education Board reports indicate that students and teachers of Groupe Scholari Rwimiyaga, on the eve of the Physics examination, gathered at a nearby primary school where they discussed the following day’s paper.Some students admitted to engaging in malpractice, but the school and denied the allegations. This is the second time in a row that the school has featured in reports of malpractice.Thomson Timuzingu, the inspector of Hillside School, owned by Good Family Association in Nyagatare District, says good follow-up of students performance pays off when teachers and parents feel equally concerned instead of involving in cheating.Hillside produced two pupils in the top eleven countrywide.

National

How did your district perform in the exams?