Breaking Barriers: Don Bosco Gatenga School Achieves 5% Surge in Female Technical Students for 2023/2024 Academic Year!
By Ange de la Victoire DUSABEMUNGU
During the academic year 2023/2024, Don Bosco Gatenga Technical Secondary School is proud of a 5% increase in the number of girls studying technical and vocational courses in the school, compared to the previous year.
According to Kabeho Fabien, the Dean of Studies at this school, “Current statistics indicate that the total number of students, including both boys and girls, studying at Don Bosco Gatenga School is 408 and this marks a 13% increase of all student compared to the previous year.”
“This total number of students includes 94 girls who increases from 62 girls recoded last year and this translates to an increase of 5% of girls.” He added.
The number of students, particularly girls in Technical and Vocational Training, is increasing at a time when the Rwandan Government is actively promoting the pursuit of vocational and technical courses among young people.
This is due to the recognition that the country’s future economy relies on knowledge and TVET education that aligns with the demands of the labor market.
The Gender Matters for Green TVET project, funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and Jugend Eine Welt, the project has prioritized girls pursuing Plumbing and Electricity at Don Bosco Gatenga. The aim is to encourage girls to pursue technical fields that are traditionally perceived as being exclusively for boys.
Due to the Gender Matters for Green TVET campaign, the number of girls enrolled in Level 3 of the targeted trades has increased this academic year (2023/2024). Currently, 12 new female students have begun studying Plumbing at Level 3, and 8 new girls have commenced studying Electricity at Level 3 in this school.
According to Uzamureba Clementine, the Gender Officer at Don Bosco Gatenga TSS, only 5 girls graduated from the Plumbing and Electricity departments last year, which is a significantly low number compared to the expected future outcome.
This project aims to promote the education of girls in technical courses and strives to provide every opportunity for them to study effectively and without hindrance.
It is within this context that Don Bosco Gatenga Technical Secondary School has initiated a boarding program for girls. Currently, 56 out of the 93 girls enrolled in the school are accommodated and well-supported.
In addition to the fact that female students continue to be interested in learning careers like their male counterparts, educators also assert that girls should not be afraid of pursuing vocational courses as they are essential for future success in life.
