Private schools in Rwanda are on the verge of closing down due to low patronage. A report by Daily Nation says desperate proprietors who face closure of their institutions are now asking the government to sponsor students in private schools at public rates.

But the government has rejected the idea.

The “problem” started with the government’s twelve-year basic education policy which made public schools affordable and preferable.

According to the report, the Ministry of Education invested hugely in expanding capacity and teaching infrastructure at public schools across the country; introduced the school feeding programme and abolished school fees.

More than 30 private schools are said to have closed indefinitely this year, while others are struggling to stay afloat after losing students to public schools.


School owners told Rwanda Today that even those that had managed to stay open were struggling to meet their operational costs.

“We’ve suffered a sharp decline in the number of students enroled, yet the school has accumulated debt, unpaid salaries and owes arrears to suppliers. It is not clear if the school will re-open,” said Samuel Batamba, the head teacher at College Nkunduburezi in Gakenke District.

Mr Batamba said the school used to have 900 students but now has only 80 students after it failed to attract new students while others enrolled in public schools.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, the government owns 460 out of the more than 1,575 schools in the country.

The rest are run by religious bodies with the Catholic church owning 620 schools, the Anglican church 279, Adventist church 22 and Muslim schools are at 16. Another 178 schools are run by parents’ associations and individuals.

The most affected institutions are private boarding schools.

Figures show that students in private schools decreased from 101,510 in 2012 to 79,076 last year while enrolment in public and government-aided schools almost doubled in the same period.

According to John Gasana, the Vice chairman of the Private Schools Association, competing with public schools requires huge capital investment to improve infrastructure, equipment and hiring skilled teachers, something many private schools cannot afford.

http://newspeakonline.com/private-schools-rwanda-close-public-schools-become-attractive-parents/

Opposite of nigeria

All those our bad leaders that is opposing restructuring will turn blind eye to this.
Even Ruwanda that fought war for many year, moving ahead of Nigeria.

Nigeria will neva copy a working template...

Henrypraise:
Nigeria will neva copy a working template...

Word

This template may not work in Nigeria considering our big size and rapidly increasing population. Small countries like Rwanda can use templates of countries with their own size while Nigeria would need to study the templates of emerging big economies like India, Pakistan and Indonesia while copying the models of big countries like China, USA, Brazil and Mexico and not Scandinavian countries as some have suggested.

For instance the template we used for higher education in the 80s is the same template S/Africa uses now but funding as become an issue for S/African varsities as the country does not allow the establishment of private universities. Now with the problematic model S/Africa and Nigeria used the only reason why S/African varsities could rank higher than that of Nigeria was that while Nigeria has about 85 public universities(Not enough if private univ are abolished) S/Africa only has about 24(most likely enough). The Nigerian own was draining cash as the university system expanded and the funding for each university became diluted year in year out.

So if we are serious about ending education tourism, sack the idea of running private universities out of business. However increase funding but DO NOT expand the public university system which would ensure that indigent and brilliant students who want university education can still get access. Allow the rich and middle class of the society to attend private universities and flourish that system. If done successfully the private universities should be encouraged to seek out foreign students from neighbouring African countries to increase their enrollment which would also advance Nigeria's economy.
lalasticlala

This is mainly for secondary school not only universities.

Statsocial:
This template may not work in Nigeria considering our big size and rapidly increasing population. Small countries like Rwanda can use templates of countries with their own size while Nigeria would need to study the templates of emerging big economies like India, Pakistan and Indonesia while copying the models of big countries like China, USA, Brazil and Mexico and not Scandinavian countries as some have suggested.

For instance the template we used for higher education in the 80s is the same template S/Africa uses now but funding as become an issue for S/African varsities as the country does not allow the establishment of private universities. Now with the problematic model S/Africa and Nigeria used the only reason why S/African varsities could rank higher than that of Nigeria was that while Nigeria has about 85 public universities(Not enough if private univ are abolished) S/Africa only has about 24(most likely enough). The Nigerian own was draining cash as the university system expanded and the funding for each university became diluted year in year out.

So if we are serious about ending education tourism, sack the idea of running private universities out of business. However increase funding but DO NOT expand the public university system which would ensure that indigent and brilliant students who want university education can still get access. Allow the rich and middle class of the society to attend private universities and flourish that system. If done successfully the private universities should be encouraged to seek out foreign students from neighbouring African countries to increase their enrollment which would also advance Nigeria's economy.
lalasticlala

your comment is for universities, this post is for secondary schools.

DangotePikin:
your comment is for universities, this post is for secondary schools.

Well, I don't believe any serious person would even recommend the model of Rwanda's secondary schools for Nigeria.
Oyo state alone handles about half of Rwanda's secondary schools(over 600) and has issues funding it to top notch. So my point for private higher education is also valid for secondary education. The Nigerian govt needs to shed away its socialist tendencies in the education sector and instead build an economy that is bouyant and where ppl can afford to fund their education. So my point is this, we can't run the private or public education system exclusive of each other at any level. We need to consciously allow both(public and private) thrive or else we would hv an highly dependent educational sector which would never be adequate.

@Statsocial, the point here is for us to work on our educational system. Private schools in Nigeria are too expensive while for the government schools, no quality at all. The government can make it attractive.

This is exactly what Rotimi Amaechi wanted to do in Rivers state while he was governor by building those model schools. But due to politics of hate, Rivers indigenes deliberately allowed those facilities to damage without any maintenance whatsoever by his successors.

Nigerians, who do us this thing?

Nigeria will get there.

Chei chei



Nigeria should just close down and apologize to everyone

And allow us go our ways


Small countries like Botswana don pass us since


Even Tanzania which I grew up in the nineties they took light twice on a decade

The positives coming out of Rwanda recently has overshadowed her ugly past.

Paul Kagame is the best President in Africa

Nigeria see your life

Paul kagame is in line to becoming the best president in the history of Africa...... No wonder he gulped 93%of rwandese votes.

Kigali is also the most beautiful city in Africa, unlike overrated Lagos and Abuja

See small Rwanda. Rising from the ashes and devastation of their genocide, just after 23 years. When will Nigeria ever experience this kind of success? I weep for Nigeria.

lonelydora:
This is exactly what Rotimi Amaechi wanted to do in Rivers state while he was governor by building those model schools. But due to politics of hate, Rivers indigenes deliberately allowed those facilities to damage without any maintenance whatsoever by his successors.

Nigerians, who do us this thing?

Guy abeg keep quiet! were amaechi children dem dey go school? pesin wen all im pikin dem dey study outside country sey na im go com fix our educational system?

Statsocial:
This template may not work in Nigeria considering our big size and rapidly increasing population. Small countries like Rwanda can use templates of countries with their own size while Nigeria would need to study the templates of emerging big economies like India, Pakistan and Indonesia while copying the models of big countries like China, USA, Brazil and Mexico and not Scandinavian countries as some have suggested.

For instance the template we used for higher education in the 80s is the same template S/Africa uses now but funding as become an issue for S/African varsities as the country does not allow the establishment of private universities. Now with the problematic model S/Africa and Nigeria used the only reason why S/African varsities could rank higher than that of Nigeria was that while Nigeria has about 85 public universities(Not enough if private univ are abolished) S/Africa only has about 24(most likely enough). The Nigerian own was draining cash as the university system expanded and the funding for each university became diluted year in year out.

So if we are serious about ending education tourism, sack the idea of running private universities out of business. However increase funding but DO NOT expand the public university system which would ensure that indigent and brilliant students who want university education can still get access. Allow the rich and middle class of the society to attend private universities and flourish that system. If done successfully the private universities should be encouraged to seek out foreign students from neighbouring African countries to increase their enrollment which would also advance Nigeria's economy.
lalasticlala

remember that don't have oil.. What have states like Bayelsa, rivers, Delta and akwa ibom whose populations aren't close to that of rwanda but annual incomes are higher than that of rwanda

Can Nigerian leaders do this for their citizens? No. I forgot they are the owners of the private schools and also their children cannot study with the poor.

Mrchippychappy:


Guy abeg keep quiet! were amaechi children dem dey go school? pesin wen all im pikin dem dey study outside country sey na im go com fix our educational system?

Do you stay in Rivers State? We need to start from somewhere

Na so e suppose be.

Over here, we started with primary schools. Government totally abandoned them and private took over.

Then we moved to secondary schools, our government secondary schools look like shanties. Apart from a few with good principals and alumni and the Catholic run ones, we are left with leaking roofs, no seats, terrible, under qualified and unpaid teachers.

Now, it's the turn of universities. Politicians and government officials' children school abroad. They've reduced funding for public schools. Curriculum never gets updated. ASUU strike is getting more frequent as the years go by. Lectures' allowances aren't paid amd lecture halls are inadequate and unwholesome. The hostels are another matter, be looking like slaughter houses. I know cause I stayed in one for five years.

Very soon, if you want quality tertiary institution for your ward, you'll have to go private. Public universities will become redundant the way it is going.

Why not, because politicians, just like secondary schools, now own universities.

this is a welcome development for Rwanda.

Nigeria has a long way to go.....

Can such be the case of Nigeria, maybe in de next world... Zoo nation

Good arrested development.While the reversed irony is the case in this goddamned country.

Will this ever happen here in Nigeria?

kk

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