Rwanda offers aspiring teachers free university education
Pupils raise hands to answer a question during a lesson at a public school in Rwanda. The government recently increased teachers' salaries by 10 percent, but many still say their pay is too low. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA | NMG
It will also cut secondary school fees by half for students who say they hope to become teachers.
In an attempt to encourage young people to opt for teaching as a career, the Rwandan government has announced that it will drop university fees for those who want to study education.
It will also cut secondary school fees by half for students who say they hope to become teachers.
The Rwanda Education Board (REB) says the measure will come into force next year.
REB head Irenée Ndayambaje told the BBC that high-school graduates who want to take advantage of the free degree programme will have to teach for three years in a primary school or kindergarten beforehand.
But will people take advantage of the offer?
"A teacher’s low salary can be discouraging," a high-school graduate in the capital, Kigali, told the BBC.
The government has recently increased teachers' salaries by 10 percent, but many still say their pay is too low.
