Rwanda’s TVET Schools Struggle with Equipment Shortages Amid Government Efforts to Strengthen Skills Training

Leaders, teachers, and students across the country continue to face challenges, including insufficient tools and equipment for teaching in Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) schools.

The government of Rwanda is strengthening TVET as a key player in equipping the workforce with practical skills needed in today’s labor market. However, the lack of sufficient tools and equipment remains a significant challenge.

Fidèle Kubwayo, a Level 5 student at Fr. Ramon Kabuga TSS, Kamonyi District, in Building Construction trade, said, “One of the challenges we face is the delay in receiving the tools and equipment needed, and sometimes they are not enough.”

Pacifique Tuyizere, a multimedia teacher at this school, explained that the issue is primarily due to the high cost of the equipment required for TVET schools.

“Tools needed in multimedia production are extremely expensive, and not all schools have the capacity to afford enough. For example, we have five cameras for 40 students, meaning eight students must share one, but it should not be more than five students per camera”, he said.

 “Consumables are available, but we lack more advanced machines in the Manufacturing Technology trade. When we need them for teaching, we go to IPRCs or industries. It would be great if we have them at our own facility”, Darius Uwizeye, a teacher at the Center For Champions, a TVET school located in Rwamagana District, highlighted.

Fr. Rudahunga Cyiza Edmond Marie, the Director of Fr. Ramon Kabuga TSS, emphasized the lack of adequate equipment both in quantity and quality across different trades.

“The government is trying to provide computers and laboratory equipment, but for now, it’s only consumables. In our carpentry department, we have old mechanical machines that were bought with support from donors, and they clearly need to be upgraded. In multimedia production, obtaining cameras is difficult because of their high cost. We constantly ask the government for help, not just for consumables but also to consider ways of providing tools and equipment since it seems like it’s the school’s responsibility to find them.”

He added, “Despite the limited number of equipment, we try to use what we have, and students show that when they enter the job market, they can apply the skills they have learned effectively. I believe that even if the government invests more or the school receives further support, equipment will never be 100% sufficient.”

Diogène Bizimana, DOS at Nelson Mandela TSS, noted that especially in new departments like Manufacturing Technology and Fashion Design, there is still a lack of equipment, which forces students to visit external sites to access necessary resources.

Theogene Mutayoba, Director of Kigali International Technical Secondary School (ITS), a private institution, stated that such schools also need equipment similar to what public schools receive.

The Director General of the Rwanda TVET Board, Dipl.-Ing. Paul Umukunzi, explained that public schools and government-subsidized receive funding to purchase tools and equipment, with priority given to schools that have the most urgent needs based on available budget.

“Every year, there is money allocated by the government to buy equipment for public schools and government-subsidized ones. Private schools also receive a budget for consumables and hand tools. A small portion of this budget is dedicated to the maintenance of tools and equipment,” he explained.

Park visits remain an issue for tourism students 

Students in the tourism trade are required to visit national parks for practical learning, but they are often treated like regular tourists and charged entry fees. This creates difficulties for schools, especially those with large numbers of students, as highlighted by Mutayoba of ITS.

He said, “To enter a national park, students need to pay Rwf 15,000. For example, I have 79 students, and when I include those accompanying them, the cost becomes quite high. What we request is that students going to national parks for learning purposes should be exempt from entry fees or that the process be made easier for them to afford it.”

Regarding this issue, Ing. Paul Umukunzi mentioned that Rwanda TVET Board has initiated discussions with the Rwanda Development Board to explore ways of reducing or eliminating the fees required for students’ park visits.