Publication: Education in Rwanda : Rebalancing Resources to Accelerate Post-Conflict Development and Poverty Reduction
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2003-06-03
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2013-07-31
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Rwanda's recent history was marred by genocide in 1994, in which at least ten percent of the population lost their lives, and, rebuilding the stock of human capital is an important part of that process, where the government has made efforts to broaden access to education, and enhance the quality of services. On the international stage, the education sector has also come into the limelight, specifically under the 2000 United Nations Millennium Declaration, and, the foregoing context presents clear challenges for education managers. The purpose of this report is to provide a factual basis for discussion. Noteworthy, are the efforts to reduce grade repletion in primary education; and, similarly, reforms in higher education finance have been launched to reduce the cost of government-sponsored overseas studies. The report is addressed to Rwanda's policymakers in the education sector, as well as to education practitioners, and, should also be of interest to policymakers in other parts of the government, particularly those charged with managing the country's development strategy, and aligning public spending accordingly. The breadth of its coverage is limited to key economic aspects that are particularly relevant in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) context: cost, finance, service delivery, and education outcomes. Most impressive, is the rapid pace of enrollment increase in the aftermath of the genocide, and, as the system expanded, it has done so in ways that has moved it toward a good balance between the public, and private sectors, while also compares favorably with that of other low-income countries in Africa, in terms of the socioeconomic disparities in educational access. Challenges ahead focus on managing student flow, and graduate output, mobilizing, and making effective use of resources for education, ensuring that public resources for education reach the front lines, balancing the accessibility of schools against considerations of scale economies, managing classroom conditions, and processes to enhance student learning, and, minimizing the barriers to education for orphans, and other vulnerable groups. Nevertheless, the task ahead remains daunting as the recovery phase gives way to the implementing the sector's long-term development. Concerns about efficiency, equity, and fiscal sustainability will be inevitably relevant, as the country seeks to advance educational progress in a resource-constrained environment.
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“World Bank. 2003. Education in Rwanda : Rebalancing Resources to Accelerate Post-Conflict Development and Poverty Reduction. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14718 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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Publication Education in Rwanda : Rebalancing Resources to Accelerate Post-Conflict Development and Poverty Reduction(Washington, DC, 2004)Rwanda's recent history was marred by genocide in 1994, in which at least ten percent of the population lost their lives. Rebuilding the stock of human capital is an important part of the rehabilitation process, where the government has made efforts to broaden access to education, and enhance the quality of services. On the international stage, the education sector has also come into the limelight, specifically under the 2000 United Nations Millennium Declaration, and, the foregoing context presents clear challenges for education managers. The purpose of this report is to provide a factual basis for discussion. Noteworthy are the efforts to reduce grade repetition in primary education; and similarly, reforms in higher education finance have been launched to reduce the cost of government-sponsored overseas studies. The report is addressed to Rwanda's policymakers in the education sector, as well as to education practitioners, and should also be of interest to policymakers in other parts of the government, particularly those charged with managing the country's development strategy, and aligning public spending accordingly. The breadth of its coverage is limited to key economic aspects that are particularly relevant in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) context: cost, finance, service delivery, and education outcomes. Most impressive is the rapid pace of enrollment increase in the aftermath of the genocide. As the system has expanded, it has done so in ways that has moved it toward a good balance between the public, and private sectors, which also compares favorably with that of other low-income countries in Africa, in terms of the socioeconomic disparities in educational access. Challenges ahead focus on managing student flow and graduate output, mobilizing and making effective use of resources for education, ensuring that public resources for education reach the front lines, balancing the accessibility of schools against considerations of scale economies, managing classroom conditions and processes to enhance student learning, and minimizing the barriers to education for orphans and other vulnerable groups. Nevertheless, the task ahead remains daunting as the recovery phase gives way to implementing the sector ' s long-term development. Concerns about efficiency, equity, and fiscal sustainability will be inevitably relevant, as the country seeks to advance educational progress in a resource-constrained environment.Publication Post-Basic Education and Training in Rwanda : Skills Development for Dynamic Economic Growth(Washington, DC, 2013-02)Improved access to and quality of upper secondary schools, teacher training colleges, Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs), and demand-driven Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses to supply the demand for the higher-level skills and competencies relevant to labor market needs remains a central priority for the ministry of education in Rwanda. Since the original analysis and drafting of this report took place there have been a number of changes within the Post Basic Education and Training (PBET) sector and progress has been made on various areas of policy implementation discussed in the report. 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This report is structured as follows: chapter one describes Rwanda's recent growth trends, ambitions for the future, and the role that skills development must play to ensure that these ambitions can be reached. Chapter two shows an analysis of the Rwandan labor market, exploring trends in both labor supply and demand, with an emphasis on the educational attainment of the labor force. Chapter three describes the context of PBET policies and strategies and the structure of the PBET system, highlighting the key features of its various segments. Chapter four focuses on the governance, management, and financing of the PBET system. Chapter five builds on the preceding chapters to offer a set of policy options that, when implemented, are expected to contribute to the promotion of a well-integrated and managed system.Publication Rwanda - Education Country Status Report : Toward Quality Enhancement and Achievement of Universal Nine Year Basic Education - An Education System in Transition; A Nation in Transition(World Bank, 2011-01-01)The Republic of Rwanda is a relatively small country located in Central Africa with a population of approximately 10 million people, making it one of the more densely populated countries in the world. The current government is taking positive steps to helps the country emerge from its tragic past, and aims to promote reconciliation and unity among all Rwandese and forbids any political activity or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or relation. The government's effort to deliver basic public services to its population, including education, also follow the spirit of inclusiveness and aims to diminish gender, socioeconomic and geographic disparities. Rwanda's development agenda is entering a new phase as it transitions from post-genocide recovery to producing a population that is regionally and globally competitive and economically and socially secure. The education sector plays a significant role in fulfilling the national agenda. This Country Status Report (CSR) takes stock of recent progress and identifies a new generation of challenges facing the education sector, particularly in the context of ongoing decentralization and the government's recent initiative to extend basic education to nine years of schooling.Publication The Living Conditions of Children(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2007-06)This paper summarizes the socioeconomic conditions of children around the world. It explores solutions to the main problems, along with a summary of the costs and benefits of some of the solutions. Emphasis is on the results from rigorous studies, impact evaluations, and randomized experiments. Although the cost-evidence literature is scarce, a good case for early interventions and key quality-enhancing education interventions exists.Publication Transitions in Secondary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa : Equity and Efficiency Issues(Washington, DC : World Bank, 2008)The main purpose of the Secondary Education in Africa (SEIA) -TRANSE study has been to identify and analyze measures that may lead to more efficient and equitable transitions in secondary education. These measures are on the one hand aiming at improving the structure and increasing the capacity of secondary education, and on the other hand to facilitate the individuals' possibilities to enter and to succeed in secondary education. Measures may be implemented at the national, regional or local level. Author especially focuses on measures like: (a) Financial (expansion of capacity, improvement of infrastructure, support to students); (b) Provisions (attractiveness and relevance, volume, location, quality and support, selection mechanisms); (c) Counseling; (d) PTA (parent teacher associations) and other local community and school relations; and (e) Reducing factors that are hindering youth to enter or to stay in schools. This paper synthesizes the findings of the country studies, highlighting the factors contributing to more equitable and efficient transitions in secondary education, and offers conclusions and recommendations.
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