New ways of learning: supporting education in Rwanda

An uphill struggle

Melanie is working as a Primary Methodology Trainer in Nyanza, a rural district in southern Rwanda. Her role there is vital because, while Rwanda is making huge strides towards Millennium Development Goal 2 – primary education for all – hardship and old-fashioned methods of teaching mean that many do not go on after primary education to turn promising beginnings into a fulfilling career.

In rural areas like Nyanza, large class sizes and lack of resources make teachers’ jobs very difficult, meaning that they often resort to the old ‘chalk and talk’ method. Teachers stand at the front of the class, talking rather than involving children in tasks and games. This tends to limit students’ attention span by requiring them only to listen, rather than ‘do’.

Making progress

With support from the District Education Officer and other VSO colleagues, Melanie is working to help improve teaching methods and improve children’s chances of learning. “Currently, I’m running a series of workshops for teachers from the 76 primary schools across Nyanza – sharing ideas to better engage children in their lessons,” she explains. “We’re doing things like using local resources as visual aids, setting up group-work and encouraging children to ask questions. The goal is to get them learning through participation, as well as giving teachers the chance to check for understanding.” By developing these teachers’ skills, Melanie will not only benefit the 65,614 children who are currently at primary school in Nyanza, but also their younger brothers and sisters, and future generations.

Clementine’s story

One pupil who is desperate to do well is Clementine, a 16 year-old girl at Ntyazo Primary School, in a very poor part of Nyanza. Clementine is in her final year of primary education, and is part of Rwanda’s catch-up programme for children who dropped out of schooling in their early years.

Clementine walks for one and a half hours to get to school each day. She enjoys learning and dreams of becoming a doctor so that she can improve healthcare in remote areas like the village she lives in. However, she often feels frustrated because she doesn’t get good marks in class. She finds learning difficult because her school has very few materials and her mother cannot afford to buy her notebooks.

Nine out of ten Rwandans are subsistence farmers – Clementine’s mother is one of them. But with Melanie’s help, Clementine’s teachers are developing new techniques to help her learn, so that one day girls and boys like her will have the chance to achieve their dreams of college, university and beyond.