Rwanda: Heated debate in Parliament over education crisis report

By Rwanda News Agency
Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Kigali: Disagreements arose in the Lower Chamber of Parliament Wednesday over what should be done following the release of a damning 317-page report detailing the chaos in the country’s education system, RNA reports.

As some lawmakers demanded that the Minister of Education Dr. Charles Murigande is summoned immediately to have his view of the situation that has been described as “scandalous”, some Deputes vigorously came to his defense.

A block of Deputes from the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) pointed out that the mess in the report has been developing over decades, and that Dr. Murigande cannot be held accountable because he was appointed just last year.

Then the line of agreement became that Dr. Murigande is “emailed” a copy of the massive report to enable him to prepare to report back to Parliament as “soon as possible”.

Dr. Murigande himself is a former rector of the National University of Rwanda – which came under very heavy scrutiny in the report, and also senior member of the RPF.

In a three-hour debate, which started Monday following the report’s release by a select committee, the mood among lawmakers had turned from disbelief at the contents, to amusement that such a situation is what is happening in the country.

Deputes wondered how the National University of Rwanda can have just 54 computers serving close to 10,000 students. As if that was not enough, the same institution – considered the country’s premier college with former students including the Prime Minister, Senate President and several ministers, was said to have 15,000 text books.

Expected, but surprising, was the finding that almost all the textbooks are in French, but the students have been studying in English since 2008. The committee said the largely French teaching staff was using Google to translate notes for students.

The National University has lost 175 researchers and professors as they search for greener pastures. As result of salary inequalities, some rectors of universities were earning Rwf. 8million as others took home less than a million Francs.

With such a shortfall in teaching materials, Deputes also heard that the employers are also crying fowl because they are not getting people with the job-market skills. For example, it was discovered that the Public Service Commission – which hires civil servants, could barely get 20percent passing job interviews.

However, by the end of the debate, it appeared that there was nobody to blame. Some lawmakers also defended government arguing that all stakeholders at different levels must take their fair share.

The House resolved that in addition to hearing from the Education Minister, a national stakeholders’ conference will be organised as “a matter of urgency”.