On July 31, the Ministry of Education held a Dialogue with Teachers at the Kigali Convention Centre, bringing closer to 300 teacher representatives from across the country. The event served as a platform to engage directly with educators on the realities they face and reaffirm the government’s commitment to supporting the teaching profession.

Minister Joseph Nsengimana emphasized that teachers are the cornerstone of Rwanda’s education system. “The true impact of a teacher is reflected in students who succeed and apply what they’ve learned to improve their lives and communities,” he said.

The forum tackled critical issues including teacher welfare, professional development, classroom overcrowding, and the teacher transfer system. Minister Nsengimana acknowledged the high number of transfer requests — over 2,200 in 2024 alone — largely driven by family and location preferences. However, only 751 were approved due to imbalances between incoming and outgoing requests in certain districts.

“If over 270 teachers request to move to Gasabo but only 48 are leaving, we cannot accommodate everyone,” he noted, stressing the importance of a minimum three-year service period before transfer eligibility.
REB officials clarified that all transfers are handled transparently through the Teacher Management Information System (TMIS), using clear, equitable criteria.

Consolée Urayeneza, a teacher from GS Kacyiru II, expressed gratitude for government initiatives like salary increases and Umwalimu SACCO support. “When I started, I earned 20,000 Frw. Today, my salary has increased more than sixfold,” she said, while also calling for a salary review considering the rising cost of living.

She praised the school feeding programme for boosting student enrolment but raised concerns over persistent classroom overcrowding, which hampers individual attention and learning outcomes.

The Dialogue underscored the Ministry’s ongoing commitment to listening to teachers and ensuring they remain at the centre of education reform in Rwanda.