Rwanda benefits from Ofsted’s inspection expertise
Andy Reid in Rwanda
Education in Rwanda has made extraordinary progress since overcoming the tragedy of the genocide of 1994.
And now the country is developing its arrangements for inspecting schools. Building on a link between its Ministry of Education and the Department of Children, Schools and Families in England, a partnership has been established between the Rwandan General Inspectorate of Education and Ofsted.
The main thing that struck me was the will to cooperate and succeed in a country that has been rebuilt almost from scratch following the genocide in 1994. Rwanda is a wonderful example of how education can be used to promote community cohesion. Sean Harford HMI
Following initial visits in each direction in autumn 2007, two Ofsted inspectors, Sean Harford and Andy Reid, made a return trip this March, helping to induct 20 new inspectors observing Rwandan inspectors’ visits to seven schools and offering general support.
The Rwandan General Inspectorate of Education is developing its knowledge of how schools can be supported and challenged through inspection. The next stage of this work will include raising awareness of effective early years and primary practice among the newly inducted inspectors.
The goal of the Government of Rwanda is to reduce poverty and in turn to improve the well-being of its population. Within this context, the aim of education is to combat ignorance and illiteracy and to provide human resources useful for the socio-economic development of Rwanda through the education system. The Rwandan Ministry for Education
This partnership will help raise educational standards in Rwanda through improved inspection. For Ofsted this is a more focused and sustained partnership than with any other country. It has been facilitated so far by funding from the Department for International Development through its Africa Capacity Building Initiative.
Unlike other countries where free schooling is restricted to primary level, Rwanda is currently in the process of expanding free education to an additional three years of post-primary, on top of the six years of primary education already provided. The aim is to encourage all children, and especially girls, whose participation is lower at present, to stay at school for the full nine-year period.
