Rwanda – Saturday 10th August 2019: Launch of National school construction activity of new 1,150 classrooms and 1,084 latrines  was held in all 30 districts to address the issue of long distance made by students/pupils and overcrowding in Nine and Twelve-Years Basic Education (9 &12YBE) schools.

 By means of home-grown unconventional approach, Ministers from the Ministry of Education plus other leaders from Education sector Agencies launched construction activities for FY 2019/2010 at 30 identified launch sites at District level. The event attracted local authorities, citizens and different stakeholders.

 At the same time, local authorities launched the school construction activities at Sector level. From October 2019, other 2,704 new classrooms and 3648 latrines will also be constructed under the World Bank Project for Quality Basic Education for Human Capital Development to address a similar issue of long distance and overcrowding in primary schools.

 The Minister of Education Dr. Eugene MUTIMURA officiated the launch in Nyabihu district at GS Nkerima Protestant, while the Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education Dr. Isaac MUNYAKAZI officiated the launch in Gisagara district at GS Gikore. Other different leaders from Education Sector launched school construction activities in different districts across the country.

 The launch activity was signified by laying a foundation stone to places where classrooms will be constructed.

 Addressing citizens after ‘Special Umuganda’ to launch school construction activities for FY 2019-2020, the Minister of Education Dr. Eugene Mutimura explained that together with expected launch in October 2019 of additional school construction of 2,704 classrooms and 3648 toilets from world bank funding, and more than 11.500 classrooms over 5 years and together with GoR funding,  we will construct about 22,000 classrooms to completely address nationally the issue of overcrowding and long distance in schools.

 “More classrooms will increase hours pupils/students spend in schools, eventually eliminate double shift, allow better teacher support to all pupils interaction and improve learning outcomes and quality of education as students transition from basic to tertiary education. ‘’both  the Minister of Education and Minister of State emphasized.

“Construction of more classrooms emanates from the commitment made by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Rwanda HE Paul Kagame to ensure access to quality education by Rwandans” both  Ministers recalled.

 Since 2009, the Government of Rwanda through Ministry of Education started a program of access for all for 9 & 12YBE. To achieve this, construction of classrooms and latrines in large numbers started with the support from different stakeholders and community using home grown unconventional approach, where 13,494 classrooms and 28,272 latrines were constructed up to 2014/2015.

 In 2018/2019, a new program was introduced to phase out double shift from Primary Six (P6) to Primary Four (P4) and the required number of classrooms to implement the program is 9,030 classrooms.  During the Fiscal Year 2018/2019, a total number of 630 classrooms for primary and 90 classrooms for pre- primary children were constructed.

Citizens expressed the gratitude to this important activity and committed their participation to the success of this activity whenever called for.

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