02.10.2020

1. One of the Cabinet decisions is that school will resume with gradual reopening. What does this mean?

From October 2020, schools will reopen gradually depending on the level of education. Starting from 12th October 2020, Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) that are ready and fulfils health guidelines for school reopening will resume.  However, there is no exact date. Higher Learning Institutions normally do not resume studies at the same time therefore, the announced HLIs that are ready according to school readiness assessment conducted by the Ministry of Education in partnership with Higher Education Council will decide their starting date and communicate to their respective students. Other levels of education such as primary and secondary education as well as TVET schools will follow to resume with gradual reopening.     

2. Why HLIs are the ones to start before others?

The main reasons why HLIs are starting before others are:

First, schools closed while some of them were about to end academic year, and additionally, this is based on the findings of assessment conducted by Higher Learning Council (HEC) on school readiness. Students from HLIs are considered as mature people and easy for them to respect health guidelines and this contributed to starting with them as a pathway to reopening of other level of education. 

3. What are the requirements for HLIs to be allowed to reopen?

Some of the requirements for HLIs to reopen are availability of sufficient hand washing facilities on campus, enforcement of social distancing measures, establishment of channels of sharing information on the pandemic and reinforcing blended mode of learning. 

4. Will students who normally get living allowances be given the money before going back to school? 

This program involves Higher Education Council (HEC), University of Rwanda (UR), Rwanda Polytechnics (RP), and Rwanda Development Bank (BRD). When students return to school, they will automatically have right on their living allowance loan, but the delivery date will be decided on by the above-mentioned Institutions.

5. What will happen to students who finished secondary schools, but Universities have not yet announced the list of admitted students? 

New students who applied for admission in University, they will wait the enrolled students to finish academic year, then they will start with others in the new academic year.

6. When will the academic year schedule be released?

The academic year schedule is being comprehensively worked on and will be published soon.

7. Will all students be wearing masks at school?

 The World Health Organisation and United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) advise that children under 5 years should not wear mask but exceptionally based on prevention reasons they can put on them.  These organisations also say that children of 12 years old and above must wear masks and respect other guidelines of adults. They advise countries to decide ages that children should not put on masks, in Rwanda the starting age of wearing masks is two years old.

8. What are the requirements for schools to be allowed to reopen? Does this mean that for those that do not fulfil the requirements will not be allowed to reopen?

The basic requirements that every public, government-aided and private schools must fulfil before reopening are: health preventive measures set by the Ministry of Healthy such as availability of sustainable and durable handwashing stations /taps placed in strategic areas of the school with soap to help students, staff, trainers or teachers wash their hand easily; availability of at last two non-contact forehead infrared thermometer for testing temperature of the all people entered in the school (staff, students and visitors)  and , availing two rooms that can host covid19 suspects (waiting room before a suspect is transferred to hospital), general cleanliness in schools particularly in dining halls, toilets, and dormitories.

9. Are there national exams this year of 2020?

There are no national exams this year of 2020, but the new academic year schedule will disclose when national exams will be done in year 2021.

10. It is possible that students will be more compared to the number of classrooms, will students’ study in shifts?

The purpose of redesigning academic year schedule is to reduce the number of students that are supposed to be in a class as students will be studying in unusual way. This means where necessary students will be attending class in shifts, may be some attend before noon classes others afternoon classes and in all levels of education to make sure that Covid19 prevention measures are respected.

11. Will remote learning program via Radio and TV continue?

Yes, learning through Radio and TV will continue and be strengthened during this period schools are waiting for reopening. Students are required to follow these lessons as they wait for school reopening calendar. There will be assessments at the beginning of the term on these lessons learned through Radio and TV, to assess students’ the level of understanding.  This method of remote leaning and teaching will be strengthened to support normal in class teaching and learning even after schools reopen.

12. Are there some special remedial programs for students who were not able to study via Radio, TV and eLearning?

Yes, they are planned remedial programs for students who missed Radio and TV lessons as well as via e-learning platform. We are aware of students who were not able to follow them. They are special catch up programs for them once they are back to school.

13. Will classrooms that are currently under construction be completed when schools reopen? 

We have a hope that in mid-November 70% of currently single stored constructed classrooms will be completed except those ones that are constructed in form of G+ (More than one story building) because it takes a time to be completed.

14. What are measures in place to increase the number of teachers as it is obvious that the needed number of teachers will be high?

On 14th July 2020, the Ministry of Education through Rwanda Education Board (REB) and Rwanda Polytechnic started the recruitment process of new teachers additional to in service teachers. The recruitment process is ongoing, and it opens up opportunities to those that are qualified and conversant with the teaching subject but are not professional in education.

15. When will successful candidates (teachers) start their job?

Successful candidates who passed exams will be officially be notified and hired before school reopening.

16. Are English books available enough now that even primary education will use English as a medium language of communication?

Yes, English books are available. They are also others that are still in printing process, by the time schools reopen English books will have been distributed to schools.

17. COVID 19 affected the economy of families and possibly some of them may not be able to pay school fess of Boarding schools, is it possible to support students to proceed their studies in 9- or 12-Years Basic Education?

Yes, it is possible for those who will need it depending on the available places in 9-12 years Basic Education.

18. What is being done to ensure that students and teachers that joined other careers due to covid19 pandemic effects return to education career?

We are organising back to school campaign countrywide in partnership with our education stakeholders to sensitize and encourage students and teachers to go back to school as well as parents to try their best to help their children to go back to school.  

Teachers are encouraged to go back to school ahead of time so that they can start lessons preparations before school reopening. This will also give us a clear picture of who left education career and how they can be replaced.

19.  It is possible that they are some schools that will not fulfil the requirement and not be allowed to reopen, how about their students?

Yes, it is possible, if it happens, a school will search for them other schools to be relocated to in partnership with parents where it will not be possible the Ministry of Education is ready to intervene and provide support.

20.  How will teachers be able to teach while wearing masks the whole day?

As the Ministry of Health guidelines require, every citizen of Rwanda must put on a face mask when he/she is with other people. Teachers must also wear mask every time they are in class to be even a good example to students.

21. What are some changes that will appear at schools when they reopen?

Some of the big changes that will appear at school include, durable ways of keeping hygiene such as hand washing facilities, enough materials of measuring fever,  private room for health facilities, activities that gather many people will be stopped, students, teachers , and other employees at school will be wearing masks, students and teachers will not be allowed to share materials among themselves, studying in shifts, visiting students at school will be stopped, and other kinds of activities that can easier the spread of Covid 19. 

22. Will students repeat the first term, or they will proceed with the second term?

When schools closed students from basic education were about to do exams of the first term of 2020 academic year. The full detailed calendar on whether they will continue with the second term of repeat the first term will be announced in the expected soon academic year calendar. 

23. What about children who are eligible to start Primary one? will they study with already enrolled students?

The Ministry of Education knows this issue of children who are eligible to start Primary school and there has been a registration of those children at their hosting schools.  Regarding how they will study, it is also going to be incorporated in the whole academic year calendar of Basic Education. 

24. How many students will be in class when school reopen?

The number of students that will be in classroom will depend of the size of the room and number of classrooms available in a school. The way of sitting will follow the Ministry of Health guidelines of keeping distance between one person and another.

25. When will school feeding program start in all schools?

The school feeding program will start working as usual however, when school kitchens construction is completed, all schools will start school feeding program for all students (Primary and Secondary students).

26. What will happen to private school that were not able to increase the number of classrooms, yet they are also supposed to respect Covid19 preventive measures? 

Private schools that were not able to increase the number of classrooms will use their existing classrooms but respecting Covid19 preventive measures. 

27. It is normally hard to control young children when it comes to respecting guidelines, what methods will be used to help them adhere to the guidelines at school?

It will require to be more cautious in opening for young children as they also vary in categories but more importantly is guiding them how they should behave at school.  

28. The government supported students to go back home due to Covid19, will it take them back to school too?

The transportation fees will be covered by parents but as usual the Ministry of Education together with other concerned Institutions will organise efficient procedures of helping students to go to school in a safely and secured manner.  

29. Will students in boarding schools also study in shifts? If so, what will the remaining students be doing while others are studying?

This will depend on each school, the number of students within school and the infrastructure that the school has. The detailed boarding schools’ guidelines will   guide them to organise the activity.

30. Will entertainment and sports activities be stopped in schools?

We will work closely with Ministry of Sports to decide possible sports activities in schools and prepare together separate guidelines.