Education
Every child, no matter where they live or what their circumstances, has the right to quality education. UNICEF supports children in Rwanda so they can attend school and learn.
- English
- Kinyarwanda
The challenge
In sub-Saharan Africa, Rwanda is one of the top-performing countries in education.
Net enrolment in primary school is 95.8 per cent.
However, there are still several challenges in education. Although nearly every child enrols in primary school, only 48 per cent of pupils who start primary school complete it within six years. Classrooms are often too crowded, with an average of 59 pupils for every trained teacher.
Only 64.2 per cent of children with disabilities in Rwanda attend school, compared with 80.6 per cent of children without disabilities. There are no penalties if government schools refuse to accept children with disabilities, and many schools are not physically accessible for these children. Schools also lack appropriate classroom materials to cater towards children with disabilities, and teachers lack understanding of differentiating learning plans for students’ various learning needs.
Only about half (50.3 per cent) of children of pre-primary age are enrolled in pre-primary education. There are too few pre-primary facilities, insufficient government budgeting for pre-primary education, and inadequately trained pre-primary educators.
The quality of education requires significant attention. Primary students score too low in numeracy and literacy exams. Many teachers also struggle to teach in English, the official language of instruction, and rely too heavily on traditional, teacher-centred instruction.
Although there are relatively equal numbers of boys and girls in classrooms, girls are more likely to drop out of school. Girls are also significantly under-enrolled in technical, vocational and tertiary education.
The solution
UNICEF aims to overcome these challenges and pursue inclusive, equitable, and quality education in Rwanda. We are a respected and credible partner of the Government of Rwanda, with a history of sound technical and financial support to the sector.
Alongside the Ministry of Education, UNICEF will strive to ensure:
The education sector has a functional governance system that can effectively provide quality, relevant education.
Children from early childhood through adolescence have increased access to inclusive education.
Girls and boys have a better quality of education, so they emerge from school more prepared for their futures.
Opportunities in education are more gender-equitable for every girl and every boy.
Governance
UNICEF has supported the Ministry of Education on the development of the Teacher Management Information System, a national teacher database that enhances the management of the teaching workforce.
UNICEF also continues to ensure that education policies are up-to-date and relevant, with particular focus on ensuring that children with disabilities are included in policy decisions.
Inclusive education
Inclusive education is a form of teaching that uses physical accessibility, individual education plans, toys and teaching aids to support children with disabilities. To help more children with disabilities to access education, UNICEF promotes inclusive education as a model of teaching and learning which meets the needs of every child.
UNICEF also helps develop teachers’ skills, so they can be better educators for children of all backgrounds. This includes providing the necessary materials and infrastructure for refugee children, so their education will not be interrupted in their time of crisis.
Quality education
Since 2016, UNICEF has supported the Government of Rwanda to implement the new Competence-Based Curriculum, which focuses on student-centred teaching methodology, such as more participatory group work and individual learning plans. In the years ahead, UNICEF will continue this support, addressing teacher development through the School-Based Mentorship Programme.
UNICEF also supports training for future educators in Teacher Training Colleges. This includes development of competency-based syllabi, teacher training guides, and building skills on student-centred pedagogy.
Gender equality
UNICEF is partnering with the Ministry of Education to develop a national communication strategy around gender and education. This will improve awareness among parents on the importance of education for girls and boys and will address social norms which negatively impact school enrolment and learning.
UNICEF has also piloted remedial learning clubs in schools, which target struggling students – and especially girls – who are falling behind in mathematics and language.
Backed by UNICEF's global expertise
Our education work in Rwanda draws on UNICEF's technical expertise worldwide. This includes our Centres of Excellence, which give country offices specialist support across sectors, our research and evidence office, UNICEF Innocenti, and our Office of Innovation. Explore more:
- UNICEF's global work on education
- Giga – connecting every school to the internet
- Children with disabilities and inclusive education
- UNICEF Innocenti – Office of Strategy and Evidence
- UNICEF Office of Innovation
- UNICEF in Eastern and Southern Africa
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See our work with children, families and partners across Rwanda as it happens, and share it with your networks: LinkedIn · Facebook · Instagram · X · YouTube.
