THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN RWANDA, AND THE DAUNTING TASK OF DEVELOPMENT AHEAD
Over the past month, we have learned so much that it’s hard to compartmentalize the knowledge and describe them in a semi-intelligible way. Let me then focus on one facet of our lessons here, and describe what we have learned about the state of the educational system in Rwanda. Education is a field that I find very fascinating, so this blog post will be one long fact and implication sheet on the topic.
THE FACTS: POVERTY PERVADES EVERYTHING
Education is split between Primary School (6 years), Secondary School (6 years), and university. Basic education is 9 years (P1-P6, then up to Senior 3), which is mandatory by law. Education is free in public schools, but private schools and semi-public schools are vastly more popular here than in Canada, and they can cost an incredible amount. Many secondary schools are boarding schools, since education is limited in small villages and therefore children often must leave their families to come to Butare or other city centers. S1-S3 is still part of basic education, but in S4, students must select which disciplines they want to pursue (for example, there is PCM, which is Physics-Chemistry-Mathematics, PCB, which is Physics-Chemistry-Biology, and many other combos).
The students with the best marks are given scholarships by the government to attend university. There are tiers to the scholarships: the best students receive scholarships for the highest tier (in business studies, that is Finance and Accounting), and the next best tier of students are given scholarships for the second tier (ex: Human Resources or Marketing). It is possible to “demote” yourself to the second tier, but not possible to upgrade. However, anyone can attend university if they can pay for it on their own, even students with the worst marks in secondary. This is because universities must raise their own budgets, and won’t turn away a paying student.
Some students (~30%) also receive a living stipend–this is meant for the poorest of students, often those without any family or other way to supplement their income. The stipend is 25,000 FRW per month (about $40), which is barely enough to rent and eat in Butare. University residences charge 5,000 FRW a month, and the school cafeteria–which serves the most meager meals meant only for survival–charges 20,000 a month. For students without family, that leaves absolutely nothing for clothing, stationery, or just going out for a drink with friends. Part time jobs are also not an option; jobs are so hard to come by that no full-time student has a job. Students who do can only study part-time in the evenings.
A university dorm room has two single-sized beds and one desk, and is maybe 2/3 the size of a room at Saugeen. It holds 4 students. Despite the cramped conditions, the university is never short on applications. Dorms hold about 3,000 students, but the university has 12,000 students, and rent is significantly more expensive outside (a small shack-like house on a mountain slope costs around 20,000 a month, not to mention the costs of transportation for those who live a ways away).
THE IMPLICATIONS OF POVERTY
The typical Rwandan meal consists of rice, potatoes, and 1 or 2 vegetables (like beans, cassavas, and plantains). It’s difficult to imagine eating nothing but rice, potatoes and beans, two times a day, every day, for 4 years. It’s a struggle to focus on your studies when you have to constantly consider your calorie output–otherwise, you’ll go to bed hungry, and hunger is certainly no stranger to many students here. The implications of being hungry while pursuing an education can be simply debilitating. I remember missing breakfast one day, and by 2pm, all I could think about was food, never mind working on teaching notes or anything else. I can hardly imagine trying to focus on a lecture about job costing when all I want is a meal.
THE STATE OF TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS IN RWANDA
I met a secondary school teacher in Butare, who was kind enough to give me a tour of his school and tell me about the plight of educators in Rwanda. Secondary teachers must have a university degree, but are paid only 100,000 FRW a month, 30% of which is taxed away under Rwanda’s high income tax system. Primary school teachers must have completed secondary school, but are paid only 27,000 FRW a month (that’s less than the $2/day poverty line). They recently received a wage boost to 45,000/month in the first year, and around 30,000/month in the following years (that’s still below the $2 poverty line).
Teachers are among the lowest paid civil servants in Rwanda, and no one wants to be one. Even the job of professor is not an enviable one, generally speaking. I met a man working with an NGO on raising the level of quality education in Rwanda, and he told me that after 14 years in the field, he’s learned that the position of primary school teacher is one that is despised by Rwandans–not disliked, but despised. Even informal traders can make significantly more than teachers.
With this level of de-motivation, it is no wonder that teachers have no incentives to provide students with a quality education. In fact, teachers are often incentivized to provide a sub-par level of education, because they supplement their income by hosting special evening sessions paid for by parents.
The sub-par basic education leaves university students with inadequate levels of knowledge in mathematics and language. Some university students still struggle with basic division, even with a calculator, because they simply do not understand the concept. This is through no fault of their own–these students are the brightest that Rwanda has to offer–but it is clearly a sign of the failure of the education system here.
THE STATE OF ENGLISH AND FRENCH IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
In 2008, the Rwandan government swept the carpet out from underfoot, and quite literally changed the language of instruction overnight. Suddenly, teachers who had gone through the education system in French feared for their jobs, students had no clue what their teachers were trying to say, and the entire system became chaotic.
President Kagame’s administration claimed that Rwanda needed to make the switch to English, because English was the universal language, and the language of its closest neighbors. Underneath that, there is a slew of political tensions and turmoils surrounding the uneasy relationships Rwanda has had with France and the predominantly french-speaking Belgium.
Regardless of the reasons, this sudden changeover has left many university students today with a poor grasp of the language they’re being taught in. The students we taught in BBA2 and BBA3 often completed their entire secondary school in French, and were forced to switch to English in university. Many students speak so quietly that we’re forced to crane to hear them–this is not because of an inherently shy culture, or any lack of intelligence–rather, this is because many students lack confidence in their English skills.
Sometimes, I will ask a question during discussion and receive nothing but blank stares. If I repeat myself slowly several times, many hands will go up. I can only imagine how difficult it is for students to understand the lectures given by some foreign professors. One student told me that their accounting professors are from India, and have a heavy accent that they can barely understand. How much can students really learn, even from a skilled lecturer, when they can hardly understand anything that he says? It is no wonder many students don’t come to class, and will simply learn from the textbook instead.
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THE DAUNTING TASK AHEAD
The education system in Rwanda has already improved drastically from 18 years ago, when all schools and universities were forced to shut down as faculty and students ran for their lives in the midst of war. Nevertheless, Rwanda has a daunting task ahead, as it aims to improve not only access to education, but quality education; motivating teachers with a budget that simply can’t accommodate higher salaries; finding 5,000 more English-speaking teachers in the next few years as the country plans to open many more schools; fighting poverty and hunger so that students can focus on studying; and addressing the huge language barrier that cripples the learning of many students.
It is not a task for the faint-hearted, nor one with an immediate payback. It is a long-term investment in Rwanda’s future, and one that is bound to be frustrating and littered with many obstacles. But, as President Kagame said, Rwanda’s greatest resource is its human capital. Education is the only sustainable way for Rwanda to charge ahead in the struggle for development.
I have been involved with educational development for several years through my work with NGOs like World University Services Canada (WUSC), and I hope to take back all that I have learned with me as I continue my pursuit of this field. Then, one day, I hope to truly be able to make a difference in the educational infrastructure of a country like Rwanda.