Education in Rwanda – An Opportunity for Inclusive Development
Progress
Rwanda has made remarkable progress in education in recent years. Compulsory education has been expanded, school enrolment is among the highest in Africa, and education is regarded as one of the country's most important investments for the future. At the same time, the education system faces significant challenges.
Young population
Around 40 percent of the population is under the age of 15. Every year, hundreds of thousands of children enter school. According to the Ministry of Education, approximately 25,000 classrooms were lacking in 2022 for around one million children. As a result, most teachers work with classes of 30 to 50 students. Despite the great commitment of teachers and the strong motivation of children to learn, large class sizes, limited resources, and basic infrastructure make individual support difficult.
Special educational needs
Children with learning difficulties, developmental delays, autism, speech and communication disorders, or other special educational needs often do not receive the support they require. Their difficulties are recognised too late or misunderstood. As a result, existing abilities remain undeveloped, and many children cannot reach their full potential. Teachers are often left alone in these situations because they lack appropriate training, suitable assessment tools, and practical teaching materials.
Pricipal of the college of Education
Support they require
Children with learning difficulties, developmental delays, autism, speech and communication disorders, or other special educational needs often do not receive the support they require. Their difficulties are recognised too late or misunderstood. As a result, existing abilities remain undeveloped, and many children cannot reach their full potential. Teachers are often left alone in these situations because they lack appropriate training, suitable assessment tools, and practical teaching materials.
Why Special Needs Education?
In RISE's understanding, special needs education does not mean establishing expensive special schools. Instead, it means equipping teachers to better support children with different learning needs within existing schools.
This includes:
- Recognising and understanding children's developmental stages.
- Adapting teaching to different learning needs.
- Using simple teaching materials that can be produced locally.
- Better understanding and supporting children's communication and behaviour.
- Involving parents in the support process.
- Creating inclusive learning environments that benefit all children.
A Need Identified by Rwanda Itself
International experience shows that teaching which responds to different learning needs benefits not only children with special educational needs but all learners. Strong competencies in special needs education improve the overall quality of teaching.
RISE – Rwanda Initiative for Special Needs Education.
The development of special needs education is not an externally imposed initiative. During an evaluation, the Rwandan Ministry of Education identified the need for increased investment in Special Needs Education: Special Needs Education:
„Special needs education is an area that needs more investments. Schools that offer such services can be out of reach of some children. There is a need for increasing affordable special needs education facilities and training for teachers.“
This statement became the starting point for the cooperation between Rwandan and Swiss professionals. In May 2022 and again in June 2023, David Schneider held discussions with the then Minister of Education, Gaspard Twagirayezu, about establishing a joint programme to promote special needs education in Rwanda. RISE – Rwanda Initiative for Special Needs Education.
Our Approach
RISE does not invest in buildings or complex structures, but in people. The focus is on teacher training, school support, and the development of local expertise. The long-term goal is to integrate special needs education into teacher education so that knowledge gradually spreads throughout the entire education system.
Every teacher who learns how to better support children with special educational needs reaches hundreds of children over the course of a career. In this way, relatively modest resources create a sustainable impact—for individual children, entire schools, and ultimately the education system of Rwanda.
Sustainable Collaboration
RISE shares proven special education teaching modules through specialists from Switzerland and further develops them together with Rwandan teachers and professionals for use in local schools. The long-term goal is to establish these practice-oriented modules as a supplement to public teacher education in Rwanda. Therefore, we are building a close partnership between the Intercantonal University of Special Needs Education (HfH) Zurich and the College of Education of the University of Rwanda, ensuring that knowledge is sustainably transferred and embedded locally.
