Nyagatare, 20th June 2020

Prime Minister Dr Edouard Ngirente officially launched the School Construction Program on Saturday, 20th June 2020 at Kabirizi Primary School in Tabagwe Sector, Nyagatare District.

This program aimed at improving quality of education by increasing the number of classrooms and related latrines across the country to reduce the overcrowding in classrooms and long distance to and from school.

While addressing the participants, the Prime Minister said that this mass school construction program comes as a response to several challenges related to the quality of education.

"It will reduce overcrowding in classrooms, hence facilitating teachers to manage classrooms with a reasonable number of students, and it will also reduce long distance travelled by students to and from school", said Dr. Edouard Ngirente.

The Prime Minister further recalled that the seven-year Government program targets, among others, to promote the Vocational and Technical Education (TVET). In this regard, he noted that additional 81 TVET schools will be constructed in this program. A TVET school will be added to every 9/12 year basic education school, so as to give more options for those who complete 9 basic education to either continue their studies in vocation training or general education.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Government of Rwanda has put a lot of efforts into this program, where it is expected that in the next three months more than ten thousand classrooms and toilets will be built.

He also emphasized that the Government of Rwanda will continue to improve the welfare of teachers and develop their capacity for teaching.

He concluded his address by urging all Rwandans to actively participate in the construction of schools in order to avail sufficient classrooms to accommodate our children by the start of the school year in September 2020.