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Musanze college closed over poor hygiene

Thursday May 10 2018
stud.

Rwandan students assemble before sitting for the examinations. The Ministry of education temporarily closed Ecole technique de Mulundo over hygiene. PHOTO | FILE

By RODRIGUE RWIRAHIRA

Ecole technique de Mulundo in Musanze district has been temporary closed over poor hygiene and sanitation, lack of facilities and equipment. This comes during the second phase of a campaign by the Ministry of Education to improve the quality of education.

The college, which is in the approved list of schools supported by Workforce Development Authority, has been offering technical courses and had apparently received numerous warnings from the local government and the Ministry of Education.

The head of the college is also suspected of pocketing students’ school fees and was arrested and taken in for questioning by the police.

Speaking to Rwanda Today, Marie Claire Uwamariya, Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs at Musanze district said the mismatch between the courses offered and the status of the college led to its closure.

“There are no workshops at the college, yet they teach courses in construction. The students do not also have refectories or dormitories and were sleeping on the floor of a nearby maize factory.

“Female students were sleeping in ghettos and faced serious dangers and we could not tolerate this any more so we decided to close the school until further notice,” said Ms Uwamariya.

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At least 40 students including five girls were boarding at the school, which is owned by a parents’ association and supported by Seventh day Adventist Church. It was only offering construction courses for A level students.

Letters

Students were caught by surprise over the closure of the college. However, they were relocated to APICUR college and letters sent to parents informing them about the closure of the school.

“We agreed with officials from the Ministry of Education that they should identify a nearby school so that the students, especially senior six candidates, do not miss classes.

“The hosting schools will accommodate these students for the meantime as we work on a more permanet solution and await the findings of the police investigation into the college head’s actions,” said Ms Uwamariya.

The second phase of a campaign by the Ministry of Education on improving the quality of learning also seeks to address issues like school dropouts, hygiene and sanitation, drug abuse and unwanted pregnancies. The ministry has sought to put emphasis on improving school leadership, which they say is marred by a bad mindset and failure to adopt better learning solutions.

Under the theme Good learning methods, cultural values, ICT and innovation promotion are the foundations of quality of education, the education ministry is expected to visit, inspect and advise up to 600 schools across the country.


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