Rwanda's Education System

Because I teach kids and help them with their homework quite often here, I have had a pretty good taste of the Rwandan educational system. Education in a country like Rwanda seems even more important than anywhere else: good education is probably a good way out of the circle of revenge, intolerance and propaganda, reason instead violence, hopefully a way to escape poverty. But the educational system here is still rather messy. While French used to be the official language a few years ago, the government has now switched to English. For kids under the age of 10 or so this is much easier than for older kids who first grew up in French and Kinyarwandan. Everything is taught in English in schools but most people’s English is limited (even teachers’ sometimes). So, kids barely know basic English (such as the name of colors or English grammar) yet get taught science, math, social studies in English. Most of the children have no idea what the teacher is talking about. So they just copy down notes from the board and learn them by heart then regurgitate them. They don’t know how to explain concepts in their own words and often, because they don’t understand what they are writing, they make a lot of mistakes and so also learn mistakes. Often they have missing notes because the teachers go too fast. There isn’t a lot of interaction between teachers and students, not a lot of place left for imagination or interactive learning. They learn what they are taught and that’s it. Now when you know how well propaganda worked during the genocide because most people failed to question what the government and radio propagandists said, you wish kids would learn a little differently.

Another problem: fees. Every child has to pay school fees, even if they’re poor. This means that a lot of kids cannot afford to go to school. I have already paid a couple of school fees for kids (it's not very expoensiver...well from our point of view) because I just find it unbelievable that certain kids get sent back home because they haven’t paid their fees. A lot of kids here REALLY want to learn. You see it when you sit down with them. They do their best to understand. So...yeah...some changes need to be made in the educational system.

I've tried to upload pictures...failed miserably.The connection is too slow.I'll try from another internet cafe. Sorry about that

Religion and the Rwandan genocide

On Sundays, Rwandans go to church and you hear chants all day. Now, every African nation is very religious and Rwanda is no exception.Yet, it is a little strange for a nation who experienced genocide and if you know the role of religious leaders in the genocide.

Consider this: in Nyarubuye when Tutsis asked the "Hutu Power" mayor how they might escape their killers, he suggested that they hide at the church. They did as told and three days later the mayor and some Hutu militia men came to kill them. In Mugonero, people did the same thing. But this time a pastor actually helped the perpetrators. Eight Tutsi religious representatives hiding in a complex sent a letter to Hutu Seventh-day Adventist Church pastor Ntakirurimana saying: "We wish to inform you that we have heard that tomorrow we will be killed with our families." The pastor replied: "Your problem has already found a solution. God no longer wants you. You must die." The next day, this is exactly what happened. He transported to attackers himself.

Examples abound: When there are problems in Rwanda, people always go to church as they trust that nothing is going to happen there. Many did this but were killed there. Quite a large number of pastors are said to have worked closely with the Hutu militia in organizing the slkaughter of Rwandans. One religious leader even had their own church bulldozed to kill everyone inside.

There are exceptions.2000 Tutsis found refuge in St Famille church in Kigali and were saved by a priest who stood up against the pastor's will.Yet it is disconcerting to see the role of religious leaders in general.Instead of places of refuge and peace, churches became mass killing grounds.
The other day, I went to a memorial in a church and when you get out and see people coming out of another church after service you cannot help but wonder how people can still believe in God and religion.As a non-religious person, it's very hard for me to understand.

Pastor Ntakirurimana fled to Zaire and then to the US where he got a green card and lived with his son and his family for a few years.He was later arrested and became the first clergymen to be convicted for his role during the Rwandan genocide. He was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and died shortly after being released. His son Dr. Gerard was also involved.