Rwanda has made strong progress in increasing access to education, but various indicators and studies show that learners continue to struggle to master foundational skills. This in turn, leads to repetition or even drop-out from school, which disproportionately affects the more vulnerable learners. School leaders play a crucial role in tackling this issue, through close follow-up and monitoring of teaching and learning in their schools. To be able to fulfil this role, school leaders need strong competencies to use data for reflection and school improvement, for monitoring the quality of systems, and for strategic direction towards equity. Additionally, as the impact of leadership spreads throughout the entire school, investing in improving school leadership offers great potential for significant returns.
Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), in collaboration with the University of Rwanda College of Education (UR-CE), the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA), and VVOB provide accredited continuous professional development (CPD) programmes for school leaders.
Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, these CPD programmes are delivered in a blended modality, with the use of technology.
Blended approach
The delivery method of these programmes is based on a thoughtful fusion of online and in-person learning activities connected by bridging activities. This combination allows for a staggered learning approach based on the flipped classroom. The staggered learning approach encourages school leaders to engage with basic knowledge via online learning, to reflect and connect to her/his own practice via bridging activities, to analyse and apply during in-person sessions, to deepen and culminate learning into the assignments while creating multiple opportunities for feedback and adjustments.
While offering these CPD programmes, the focus is put on the use of school-based data for decision-making for improved learning outcomes and to close equity gaps.
Kicking off the second cohort of school leaders
On the 1st of March 2024, the second cohort of school leaders started their learning journey. This second cohort will run until the end of 2024 and will benefit 230 headteachers and deputy headteachers, and 230 school-based mentors in seven districts, namely Kicukiro, Nyarugenge, Kamonyi, Muhanga, Nyamagabe, Gicumbi, Ngoma and Nyamasheke. This follows the first cohort which started in April last year in 10 districts targeting about 600 school leaders.
Through the certified 40-credit diploma programme, new headteachers and deputy headteachers are trained in effective school leadership. School-based mentors and district and sector officials are equipped with the competences to facilitate school-based professional development activities through a 20-credit CPD certificate in educational mentorship and coaching.
“The Ministry of Education and Rwanda Basic Education Board believe in the power of effective school leadership and expect to see more changes at school, teacher, and learner levels as a result of participation of school leaders and school-based mentors in these CPD programmes. We believe that school leaders can make a positive change,” said Léon N. Mugenzi, Head of Teacher Development and Management department at REB.
Loran Pieck, Strategic Education Advisor Online Learning, VVOB in Rwanda said: "Embracing a blended modality for CPD programmes not only enriches school leaders' learning journeys but also unlocks the door to competence-based learning through the innovative flipped classroom approach. Our aim is to empower school leaders to enhance their practice consistently and sustainably."
Expectations of school leaders
Agnes Rukundo is a school-based mentor at Centre Scolaire de Kabeza, a nursery and primary school in Kicukiro district, Kigali City. She believes that this training will be very beneficial, not only for her but also for her colleagues.
“Continuous professional development is very important in Rwandan education. So, this training is a great opportunity to improve my teaching knowledge and skills through continuous learning. It will help me improve my self-evaluation in the day-to-day classroom activities and equip me with necessary tools and skills to coach and mentor my coworkers,” Ms Rukundo said.
Emerance Nyiramatabaro, headteacher of Kigali Adventist School also describes this training as very important for her as a school leader: “It will boost my leadership skills, and in turn have a positive impact on my school and the Rwandan community at large”.
Engaging with data
In the CPD programmes, trainees actively engage with relevant data.
- At local level, schools will use different student assessment and school performance data to develop and operationalise the school improvement plan (SIP) meaningfully.
- Sectors and districts will compile data from schools (e.g.; via the School Leadership Assessment toolkit) and sectors respectively to develop their professional development, school support and other plans or decisions.
The CPD programmes are part of a five-year programme called Learning through Assessment and Data (LEAD) - Umusingi w’uburezi bunoze which runs from 2022 until 2026. The programme strengthens the use of data in school leadership to address repetition, drop-out, and equity gaps in learning outcomes. Over 1,500 school-based mentors and school leaders from 650 primary schools, as well as sector and district officials in all 30 districts will be reached.
Learn more about the achievements and impact of our previous programme called Leading, Learning and Teaching Together (LTLT), implemented from 2017 to 2022.
