Rwanda is considering major changes in its education system that
would require primary school teachers to hold university degrees, as part of
broader efforts to improve the quality of basic education.
The Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) says the current teacher
training model for primary schools needs to be revised, noting that the
duration of training is too short and should be extended. Under the proposed
reforms, individuals seeking to teach at the primary level would first be
required to complete university education.
The Ministry of Education’s 2024/2025 performance report, released
on March 30, 2026, shows that Rwanda has 4,996 schools. Of these, 2,083 operate
under government-aided agreements, 1,576 are public schools, and 1,337 are
privately owned.
As of December 2025, Rwanda had 133,029 teachers across primary and
secondary schools. Among them, 71,011 hold only secondary school
qualifications, 10,667 have undergraduate degrees, while 21,147 possess
postgraduate qualifications.
REB Director General, Dr Nelson Mbarushimana, has told RBA that the
current system used to train teachers in teacher training colleges needs to be
modernised to align with evolving education standards.
Rwanda currently has 16 teacher training colleges that admit
students after lower secondary education. After three years of study, graduates
are qualified to teach in primary schools.
However, Dr Mbarushimana said this training period is relatively
short compared to regional and global standards, and ongoing research is
exploring ways to extend it.
“They study to become primary school teachers, but when you compare
the time they spend in training with other countries in the region and
globally, it is still short. We are reviewing this through research and working
to improve it,” he said.
He pointed out that in some countries, teacher training extends by
an additional two to four years, meaning primary school teachers may hold
advanced diplomas or university degrees.
“Teaching is not an easy profession. When you see a doctor
performing surgery, using anaesthesia and carrying out complex procedures,
teaching may not involve machines, but it requires equally intensive training,”
he added.
Dr Mbarushimana emphasised that primary education forms the
foundation of learning, where children acquire essential skills such as
reading, writing and numeracy.
“When learners have competent teachers at this level, it prepares
them better for secondary education and beyond, whether they pursue technical
training or higher education. This ultimately contributes to building a capable
citizen who can drive national development,” he said.
Asked whether, in the near future, graduates of university-level
teacher training programmes could go on to teach in primary schools, he
replied, “It is true.”
Reforms aim to address gaps in curriculum delivery
The proposed changes come alongside broader education reforms
introduced last year, which replaced traditional subject combinations in
secondary schools with a new system known as “learning pathways.”
According to Dr Mbarushimana, the shift was informed by research and
international benchmarks, which revealed limitations in the previous system
that restricted students’ ability to make flexible academic choices.
“We identified gaps that limited students’ freedom to choose their
academic paths. We introduced three main learning pathways: science and
mathematics, humanities, and languages,” he said.
Within the science pathway, students can specialise in combinations
such as mathematics, physics, biology and chemistry, or mathematics, physics,
geography and economics.
“This allows a student interested in science to follow that path and
make informed choices when they reach university,” he added.
REB also noted that the reforms have led to an oversupply of
teachers in certain subjects, as schools now combine students from the same
level into larger classes for specific subjects, reducing the number of
teachers previously required.
The government says the ongoing reforms are designed to strengthen
the overall education system and better align it with both national development
goals and global standards.
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