Kigali- 31st May 2019- It was all pomp and colorful when Inspire, Educate and Empower Rwanda (IEE) in partnership with Mastercard Foundation launched the Teaching Assistantships Project in Kigali, Rwanda. The launching event was kick-started by a training and awareness workshop that brought together all seventy-three host Head Teachers from seventy-three schools in fifteen districts across Rwanda; Musanze, Gakenke, Rulindo, Rusizi, Burera, Karongi, Muhanga, Ruhango, Nyagatare, Gatsibo, Kayonza, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge, Gasabo and Bugesera, where the project is being piloted.
The Teaching Assistantships project is funded by Mastercard Foundation under its Leaders in Teaching (LIT) initiative in Rwanda. This pilot project is aimed at engaging a total of one hundred and fifty bright girls in their transitional year to tertiary education, as Teaching Assistants, supporting the learning of mathematics and science for six months, at seventy-five schools in fifteen 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 Math (STEM), during the current Education Sector Strategic Plan period of 2018/19- 2014/25. This Mastercard Foundation-IEE project intends to inspire the Teaching Assistants to take up teaching careers or consider education as area of further academic study. IEE and Mastercard Foundation appreciate school leaders as pivotal to all activities that take place in schools, including creating positive instructional environments for teachers through mentorship and coaching opportunities. That is why an essential part of the Teaching Assistantships project launch phase was to bring together all head teachers from selected pilot schools to this workshop. At this workshop, head teachers were introduced to project content, around English language for teaching, planning for teaching and teaching methodology, study strategies and personal development, gender awareness and gender responsive pedagogy, and inclusive education. Using activity-based strategies, head teachers interacted around the themes of academic leadership, role modelling, and school-based support for Teaching Assistantships.
During the Teaching Assistantship Project launching event, James McIntyre the Program Manager in charge of Education and Learning at Mastercard Foundation, Rwanda office said that through the Teaching Assistantships Project, one of the Foundation’s objectives is being achieved. ‘’It is such a good thing to see that one of the Foundation’s objectives of mobilizing and supporting teachers and leaders who are at the frontline of education is being fulfilled through this project and we have no doubt that with you, this project is going to be successful’’. He noted, addressing the audience.
Complementarily, the IEE Country Director requested the seventy-three host head teachers for combined efforts and support for the success of the project. “As partners in this project, let’s combine our efforts and work together for its success because once we succeed in this pilot, it will be an eye- opener and so the project will be scaled up to the whole country hence benefiting other children in Rwanda’’. He said.
During the course of the Teaching Assistantships Project, the host schools will also be supplied with materials like science and math equipment and stationery which will facilitate learners and teachers in learning and teaching science respectively. Additionally, science teachers from these schools will also receive capacity building in terms of trainings as part of this project package. The pilot project aligns with the Ministry of Education’s priority to recruit qualified, skilled teachers to deliver the competency-based curriculum, particularly for science in secondary schools. The outcomes of this pilot will be used to inform scaling up of the Teaching Assistantships Project country wide.
Reactions to this content may be addressed to: ieerwanda.directorate.org@gmail.com