The new Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana was recently appointed amid pending tasks aimed to mainly bolster up quality education. His appointment comes at a time when the Ministry of Education is introducing new platforms, particularly the method used to calculate grades and assign students to institutions.

The introduction of the School Data Management System (SDMS) has automated the process of calculating scores and placements. Since 2022, a combination of letters and numerical values has been used to assess student performance. A student's aggregate score is determined by summing the values associated with the letter grades received across subjects. Placement in schools is based on these totals rather than individual subject grades. In primary levels, the maximum score is 500 while in secondary, the score is 900.

Speaking on the national broadcaster, Minister Nsengimana acknowledged the concerns over transparency in student’s placement. He stressed that clearer communication of scores could resolve much of the current dissatisfaction.

"I believe we need to show these points as they are," Nsengimana remarked adding. "It’s important that students and parents know exactly where they stand, instead of placing those who score 70%, 80%, and 90% in the same category. We want students to understand their position."

A notable issue raised during this moment when students are going back to school is the imbalance between school’s preferences and available schools. Majority of students tend to apply in the same learning institutions, while leaving others unapplied. Nsengimana pointed out that 50 schools currently face low enrollment creating the challenge to accommodate such a big number of students.

Minister Nsengimana proposed reforms to ensure that students are placed in schools and courses aligned with their abilities and interests. "Next year, we aim to introduce a program that ensures no child is placed in a school where they are unlikely to succeed," he said.

He urged certain schools to be transparent while enrolling new students as they avoid and recommend any shortcomings to balance student distribution across the country.

Still on this note, the topic of student’s performance and its implications on their placement were discussed.

The Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education, Irere Claudette, highlighted cases where students in some areas consistently underperform in exams.

She explained that science was the common subject taught in certain schools and was later oriented in the related courses.

“We realized that children who excelled in specific subjects are enrolled in similar academic combinations," said Irere.

The Ministry has pledged to take steps to support these students and improve their educational outcomes.

In addition to tackling current educational challenges, the government is also focusing on expanding early childhood education. As part of the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), Rwanda aims to increase kindergarten enrollment from 35% to 65%.

Minister Nsengimana emphasized the importance of building more public kindergartens and enhancing the quality of early childhood education. The Minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to accelerating this growth in the coming years.

Statistics from the Ministry of Education show a slight increase of student’s attendance in kindergarten rising from 3,808 in the 2021/2022 academic year to 4,051 in 2022/2023.