Kigali, Saturday, September 21st 2019– Imvugo niyo ngiro, a Kinyarwanda statement for actions speak louder than words. I can testify that this project has really impacted our school. This was said by Mr. Bangi Ponsiano, a Director of Studies at Groupe Scholaire Nyamugali in Kayonza District, one of the 73 schools of intervention for the Teaching Assistantships Project. Mr. Bangi’s explanations of benefits for his school from the project included reception of science materials and stationery, which have complemented teaching and learning.
The Teaching Assistantships project is funded by Mastercard Foundation and implemented by Inspire, Educate and Empower Rwanda (IEE) under its Leaders in Teaching (LIT) initiative in Rwanda. This pilot project is aimed at engaging a total of 150 bright girls in their transitional year to tertiary education, as Teaching Assistants, supporting the learning of mathematics and science for six months, at 73 schools in 15 districts in Rwanda. The project is part of Mastercard Foundation’s commitment to supporting livelihoods and opportunities for young people in Africa, particularly women, to secure dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. Particularly, under the “Recruit” pillar of the LIT initiative, Mastercard Foundation is supporting skill-nurturing, to attract passionate, young women with an interest in education to join the teaching profession. This complements ambitions of the Ministry of Education in Rwanda, to nurture a teaching force, particularly for Science, Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM), during the current Education Sector Strategic Plan period of 2018/19- 2014/25.
With an aim to reflect on the Teaching Assistantships Project, IEE hosted stakeholders including Head Teachers, Directors of Studies and Host Teachers for a Project Consolidation Workshop. The major objective of the workshop was to give the stakeholders an opportunity to reflect on the project, particularly the role played by the Teaching Assistants in schools. The intention of the project is to give the Teaching Assistants opportunities to get practical teaching experiences, complementing teachers’ efforts and hopefully being inspired to take up teaching careers or consider education as area of further academic study.
The workshop involved the stakeholders in activities intended to gather their reflections on the Teaching Assistantships Project; understanding contributions of Teaching Assistants to host schools; reflection on activities done by stakeholders to inspire Teaching Assistants to take up teaching careers, and overall, appraisal for the Teaching Assistantships Project. Stakeholders expressed their experiences in the project and how helpful Teaching Assistants have been to their schools. Main benefits revolved around Teaching Assistants acting as catalysts to raise teachers’ attention to their behaviors as role models to the Teaching Assistants, support for teaching and learning activities in collaboration with teachers, and inspiring fellow learners to put more effort in their studies to get such opportunities. Additional appreciation was said about science and mathematics materials that were supplied to the 73 schools as part of the project.
Thank you all for the warm reception of the Teaching Assistants. Without your permission to host the scholars at your schools, and without your daily support to them, the pilot phase of this project would not have been successful. In collaboration with Rwanda Education Board and Mastercard Foundation, we hope to expand the project to benefit more scholars and more schools, said Emmanuel Murenzi, IEE Country Director.
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