Rafael Hangula
A delegation of Members of Parliament (MPs) from the National Council Standing Committee on Education, Science, ICT and Youth Development is currently on a week-long study visit to Rwanda.
Led by chairperson Olivia Hanghuwo, the committee aims to learn best-practices in education, science, ICT, culture and youth development.
Others are Bethuel Tjaveondja, Kosmas Katura, Jeremias Goeieman, Deriou Benson and Sakeus Nangula.
During a courtesy call on the president of the Senate of Rwanda, François Xavier Kalinda, on Monday, the chairperson voiced their interest in benchmarking Rwanda’s integration of Science and ICT in the education system, promotion of culture, arts, language and youth empowerment programmes.
The visit also focuses on identifying potential areas for collaboration between Namibia and Rwanda.
Kalinda highlighted the shared history and resilience between the two countries, emphasising the importance of enhancing parliamentary cooperation.
“Indeed, our two countries share a similar history, marked by a tragic past as well as a spiritual resilience. This shared history provides us with a unique opportunity to forge special relations and cooperation initiatives,” he said.
“As we host your benchmark visit to Rwanda, it is an opportunity to enhance our relations in the field of parliamentary cooperation in addition to adapting strategic areas of existing bilateral cooperation,” he emphasised.
This visit follows the important visit to Rwanda by chairperson of the National Council Lucas Sinimbo Muha in March 2023, which was aimed to strengthen bilateral relations and particularly to enhance cooperation between the two parliaments.
The committee engaged with various relevant stakeholders, including Rwanda’s minister of education and minister of youth as well as their counterpart, Rwanda’s committee on social affairs and human rights, and it is set to visit projects at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional college, which aims at providing technology education as a major vehicle for achieving and sustaining industrial development in Rwanda.
MPs also visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial and laid wreaths at mass graves adjacent to the memorial, where some 250 000 victims of the 1994 genocide lie buried.
In a meeting with the minister of education in Rwanda Gaspard Twagirayezu, the committee learned about Rwanda’s initiatives in consolidating public universities, expanding primary and secondary education, and attracting international universities to establish campuses in Rwanda.
Rwanda’s integration of ICT in the education system has been a significant focus of the Ministry of Education, said Twagirayezu.
The minister said the country has made substantial efforts to ensure connectivity in schools, with initiatives like the Smart Education project that aims to connect schools across the country.
By leveraging technologies such as fiber, 4G and satellite connectivity, Rwanda has successfully connected
1 500 schools, and plans to connect even more by the end of the year.
The minister highlighted initiatives like the Rwanda Coding Academy and technical education policies, aimed at enhancing employment opportunities for graduates.
“In addition to connectivity, Rwanda has also prioritised providing access to devices in education. The implementation of smart classrooms, equipped with computers and ensuring that teachers have access to ICT devices, are key components of this initiative.
“The Ministry of Education has launched programmes like Connect Rwanda to make ICT devices more affordable and accessible to teachers, further enhancing the learning environment,” said the minister.
Capacity building is another crucial aspect of Rwanda’s ICT in education strategy.
“The establishment of the Rwanda Coding Academy and the focus on technical education policy demonstrate the country’s commitment to equipping students and teachers with the necessary skills to leverage technology effectively,” he emphasised.
The minister said by investing in technical education, Rwanda aims to ensure that 60% of post-secondary students pursue technical education, leading to high employment rates among graduates.
In addition, the minister said Rwanda’s school building policy has had a significant impact on various aspects of society, including health, education and nutrition.
“The government’s efforts to expand school infrastructure and provide essential resources have resulted in improved learning outcomes, and increased access to education for children across the country,” he said.
The minister said the country has seen an interesting number in the growth of international students.
“This is also to leverage on some of the investment that the country has been doing with IT in peace and security, because we are a safe country, and people want to come and live here.”
Rwanda has more than 35 private high-learning institutions, according to the minister of education, and the country is working hard to attract even more.
The discussion also touched on the impact of school-feeding programmes, which the minister said is increasing school attendance and engagement.
“Parents are now more inclined to send their children to school, as it provides a safe environment for learning and social interaction. This shift in mindset has positively influenced enrolment rates, and contributed to the effectiveness of Early Childhood Development (ECD) policies,” he said.
Efforts to improve teachers’ welfare have resulted in an 88% increase in salaries for school teachers in Rwanda.
This initiative, the minister said, has not only retained over 90% of teachers in the profession but also enhanced their financial stability through access to low-interest loans.
“These measures have played a significant role in promoting student retention, enhancing learning outcomes, and fostering a conducive learning environment,” Twagirayezu said.
The committee also engaged with Rwanda’s minister of youth, Abdallah Utumatwishima, discussing youth development initiatives to address challenges such as unemployment, teenage pregnancies, and access to education and training.
During the engagement, Utumatwishima said programmes like Youth Connect provide platforms for young people to access opportunities, mentorship and funding for entrepreneurial ventures.
“The ministry’s focus on skills development, employment, health, civic engagement and creative economy underscores its commitment to empowering the youth and fostering sustainable development,” he said.
He added that 80% of Rwandan people have some financial accessibility, and their employment is 50.6% for those who are ready to work.
With all the success stories, the country is also confronted with challenges such as that of unemployment and teenage pregnancies.
“So, we have a 16.6% unemployment rate. The biggest number that is causing headache to us is what is called NEET, which is young people not in education, not in employment, and not in training. Those are the standard young people, and they are 28.4%,” he said.
“Another number that is very critical is teenage pregnancies. We have 5% of our adolescents – young girls – who’ve been pregnant below the age of 19. And this is a very big number for us,” he added.
The visit, which started on Monday, ends on Friday, as the Committee fulfils its mandate to report on matters related to education, science, ICT, youth development, national service, sport, arts and culture.
*Rafael Hangula works for the Division: Research and Information Services at the National Council-Parliament of Namibia.