Education
Senior 2 · English
Education
Lesson 1 of 4
22 min
You are in Senior 2. Behind you are nursery and primary school; in front of you are the national examination at the end of S3, a choice of paths in upper secondary, and then perhaps college or university. Knowing how the whole system works helps you plan your own route through it.
In this lesson you will read about how education in Rwanda has developed and how it is organised today, learn the vocabulary of institutions and qualifications, and use have to to talk about the rules and requirements of school life.
The first two paragraphs are adapted from the English Wikipedia article Education in Rwanda. The third was written by Ganzaa.
Then. Before the twentieth century, education in Rwanda was mostly informal. Children learnt from their parents and grandparents at home, and young people were trained in amatorero (training schools), where they learnt skills such as military training, poetry, metalwork and basket making. During the colonial period, most schools were run by religious organisations.
Change. Since 1994, rebuilding the education system has been one of the country's priorities. In 1996, the structure of six years of primary, three years of lower secondary and three years of upper secondary was introduced. In 2006, nine years of basic education (9YBE) became fee-free in public schools, and from 2012 the Twelve Years Basic Education (12YBE) policy extended fee-free schooling up to the end of upper secondary. English was adopted as the language of teaching in 2008, and since 2019 it has been the medium of instruction at all levels, including the first years of primary. In 2017, Rwanda Polytechnic was created to offer technical and vocational higher education in colleges across the country.
Now. Today, children can attend pre-primary (nursery) school for three years before starting primary school, which lasts six years (P1–P6). Secondary school also lasts six years: lower secondary, or Ordinary Level (S1–S3), and upper secondary, or Advanced Level (S4–S6). Students sit national examinations at the end of P6, S3 and S6; these are organised by the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA). After S3, students choose a path: a general-education combination of three main subjects, such as Physics–Chemistry–Biology (PCB) or History–Economics–Geography (HEG); a technical and vocational course (TVET) at a technical secondary school; or teacher training at a teacher training college (TTC). After S6, students can go on to higher education at a university, such as the University of Rwanda, or at a polytechnic. The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) leads the whole sector, and the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) develops the curriculum.
How did young Rwandans learn skills before the twentieth century?
Informally, from parents and grandparents at home, and in amatorero training schools.
What is the difference between 9YBE and 12YBE?
9YBE (2006) made primary and lower secondary fee-free in public schools; 12YBE (from 2012) extended fee-free schooling to the end of upper secondary.
Name the three paths a student can choose after S3.
A general-education combination, a TVET course at a technical secondary school, or teacher training at a TTC.
How many years of school, from P1 to S6, does a Rwandan student complete?
6 + 3 + 3 = 12 years.
| Institutions | Qualifications | People and actions |
|---|---|---|
| nursery school, primary school, secondary school, technical secondary school, teacher training college, polytechnic, university | certificate (shows you finished a course or passed an exam), diploma (a higher qualification, usually from a college or polytechnic), degree (from a university: bachelor's, then master's, then doctorate) | pupil (primary), student, lecturer (teaches at university), graduate (someone who has completed a degree); enrol (officially join a school or course), graduate (verb: complete a degree), tuition fees (money paid for teaching) |
Note the pronunciation: a graduate (noun) ends in /ət/, but to graduate (verb) ends in /eɪt/.
Use have to / has to + base verb for requirements that come from outside, such as rules, laws and timetables.
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| have to / has to | She has to choose a combination. | it is necessary |
| don't / doesn't have to | In public schools you don't have to pay tuition fees for basic education. | it is not necessary |
| had to | Last year we had to walk five kilometres to school. | past necessity |
| will have to | After S6 you will have to decide where to study. | future necessity |
| Do/Does … have to? | Do we have to wear uniform on Saturday? | question |
In Unit 1 you learnt must. Both show obligation, but compare:
The big difference is in the negative: You mustn't cheat (forbidden) but You don't have to join a club (not necessary; your choice). And because must has no past or future, we use had to and will have to.
Tip
Have to changes like an ordinary verb: he has to, they had to, do you have to? and you don't have to. Mustn't means "don't do it"; don't have to means "you don't need to, but you may".
Complete with the correct form of have to: Keza ___ (choose) her combination next year.
Solution: Keza has to choose … (Keza = she → has to). Or, because it is next year: Keza will have to choose.
Put into the past: We have to walk to school.
Solution: We had to walk to school.
Choose mustn't or don't have to: You ___ bring food on the trip; lunch is provided. You ___ leave the group without permission.
Solution: don't have to (not necessary); mustn't (forbidden).
Correct the mistake: Does she has to pay tuition fees?
Solution: Does she have to pay tuition fees? After does, the verb returns to its base form.
A student from another country asks, "How does school work in Rwanda?" Answer in six to eight sentences. Mention the levels, the national examinations and the choices after S3, and use have to at least twice.
Model answer: In Rwanda, many children start with three years of nursery school. Then they have to complete six years of primary school, and at the end of P6 they have to sit a national examination. Secondary school has two levels, each three years long. After S3 we have to choose a path: a combination such as PCB, a technical course, or teacher training. In public schools, students don't have to pay tuition fees for basic education. After S6, students can go to a university or a polytechnic.
Remember
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
