Rwanda and the World Bank have signed an additional financing agreement worth $129 million (over Rwf134bn) to among others support the government’s efforts to improve teacher competence and student retention.
Funds secured under Quality Basic Education for Human
Capital Development (QBE), include a $50M credit, a $50M grant, and a
co-financing $29.062 Million grant from Global Partnership for Education (GPE).
The initiative has made significant progress in improving
access to schools and teaching and learning conditions over the past three
years.
A steering committee met Tuesday, August 16, to discuss
progress and highlight that the initiative funded 11,004 units out of 22,505
classrooms.
Officials claim that this has brought in an estimated 2.07
million school-age kids within a 2 km radius of their homes. It has also
reduced the student to teacher ratio at primary level, which was 73 in 2019 to
49 by 2021.
More than 100,000 workers were employed during times of
socio-economic distress.
“In 20 years, approximately 46 percent of Rwanda’s workforce
aged 20-65 years will comprise individuals who were either in school or under
the age of 5 during the pandemic, thus signaling the importance of investments
and reforms done today to secure and improve learning,” said Rolande Pryce,
World Bank country manager, Rwanda.
“This additional financing is a continuation of World Bank’s
support for the Government of Rwanda’s Vision 2050 agenda. It aims to play a
critical role in reversing the learning losses incurred during the Covid-19
pandemic,” she added.
Officials said that the funds would also be used for
innovative audio-visual programming and learning materials to primary schools.