Rwanda: More than one teacher to be placed in overcrowded classrooms

Rwanda Education Board has announced a plan to put two teachers in overpopulated classrooms that will help one another in class management.

A large number of students in one classroom in some parts of Rwanda remain the area that needs improvement. The 2018 Education Statistics published by the National Institute for Statistics of Rwanda show that the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level is 56.

The country targets 46 students per teacher in 2024.

Overpopulation in classrooms is associated with the gap in rooms and teachers needed, according to the Director General of Rwanda Education Board, Dr. Irénée Ndayambaje.

Speaking at the event of issuing certificates for TTCs’ candidates who sat for 2019 national examination, on January 15, 2020, Dr. Ndayambaje said a decision has been made to put more than one teacher in classes if there is no other alternative.

“We still have overpopulation in classrooms, where we haven’t yet enough rooms, the decision made is to place two teachers in a class of over 70 students. While one is teaching, the other can help in classroom management”, he said.

The total number of 2019 TTCs candidates is 3859. Their result publication and certificates issuing has been done quickly this year so that they can fill the teachers’ gap, Dr. Ndayambaje explained.

“Currently we need more teachers. The heads of TTCs are urged to distribute certificates as soon as possible so that the candidates compete for jobs in different districts in the coming days. These new teachers will contribute for double shift removal in P4” he added.

There are 16 TTCs all over the country. The best performer of 2019 National examinations is TTC Mururu.

The total number of learners registered in the Rwandan primary education system in 2018 was 3,626,362 with 94,699 staff and 13,012 schools, according to NISR (2018 Education Statistics).

By Kanamugire Emmanuel