President Kagame rehabilitates his former school
Oct 30, 2007
IT is a story of a village school whose fortune has changed overnight because of a former student’s certificate that has been kept since 1971. Rwengoro Primary School in Kamwenge district is where Rwandan President Gen. Paul Kagame attended and completed his Primary Seven.
By Raymond Baguma
and Bizimungu Kisakye
IT is a story of a village school whose fortune has changed overnight because of a former student’s certificate that has been kept since 1971. Rwengoro Primary School in Kamwenge district is where Rwandan President Gen. Paul Kagame attended and completed his Primary Seven.
Rwengoro is a government-aided school, founded in the 1960s to educate children in the nearby refugee settlement camp of Kahunge.
At the time, Kagame had fled Rwanda with his parents and siblings and sought refuge in Uganda. They lived in Kahunge Refugee Settlement Camp.
Recently, Kagame donated 15 million Rwandan francs (about sh49m) to rehabilitate his former school. This followed a story that ran in a local Runyankore newspaper, Orutambi, about Kagame’s Primary Leaving Exam (PLE) certificate, which was being kept at the school.
The Rwandan Embassy in Uganda then made arrangements to have the certificate delivered to Kagame. On October 8, after 36 years, his certificate was delivered and presented to him at the Rwandan State House.
Observers say between the years of 1968 and 1971, Rwengoro used to be outstanding in the western region. But over the years, the school has lost its shine, and witnessed a decline in academic performance.
Last year, 37 pupils sat for PLE at the school. Of these, only four passed in Division One; 25 pupils were in Division Two; 7 in Division Three and one in Division Four. This year, the school has a total enrollment of 768 pupils and 43 candidates will sit for P7.
Records at the school indicate that during Kagame’s year, all the 54 pupils who sat that for PLE, passed in Division One and Two. Kagame’s result slip shows he passed in Division One, scoring 83% in English, 86% in General Paper and 90% in Mathematics, with a total of 259 out of 300.
The school’s headteacher, Francis Ruhweza, says: “The pupils at that time had a positive attitude towards their education. And their parents would encourage them to study. Today, most parents are not supportive of the education of their children.â€
Ruhweza says the donation from Kagame is timely and will be used to re-roof, rebuild the floor, walls, and verandah and fix glass windows in the classrooms.
At the school, the big compound is neatly planted with flowers. But the buildings, including the historical class block in which Kagame studied, were affected by an earthquake and have developed cracks.
“The buildings are in a sorry state. The roofs of some blocks were blown off by the storm. There are no doors and windows on some classroom blocks,†says Ruhweza. He adds that there is a shortage of textbooks, lack of staff accommodation and water supply. Also, the staff quarters that were built in the 1960s are dilapidated.
and Bizimungu Kisakye
IT is a story of a village school whose fortune has changed overnight because of a former student’s certificate that has been kept since 1971. Rwengoro Primary School in Kamwenge district is where Rwandan President Gen. Paul Kagame attended and completed his Primary Seven.
Rwengoro is a government-aided school, founded in the 1960s to educate children in the nearby refugee settlement camp of Kahunge.
At the time, Kagame had fled Rwanda with his parents and siblings and sought refuge in Uganda. They lived in Kahunge Refugee Settlement Camp.
Recently, Kagame donated 15 million Rwandan francs (about sh49m) to rehabilitate his former school. This followed a story that ran in a local Runyankore newspaper, Orutambi, about Kagame’s Primary Leaving Exam (PLE) certificate, which was being kept at the school.
The Rwandan Embassy in Uganda then made arrangements to have the certificate delivered to Kagame. On October 8, after 36 years, his certificate was delivered and presented to him at the Rwandan State House.
Observers say between the years of 1968 and 1971, Rwengoro used to be outstanding in the western region. But over the years, the school has lost its shine, and witnessed a decline in academic performance.
Last year, 37 pupils sat for PLE at the school. Of these, only four passed in Division One; 25 pupils were in Division Two; 7 in Division Three and one in Division Four. This year, the school has a total enrollment of 768 pupils and 43 candidates will sit for P7.
Records at the school indicate that during Kagame’s year, all the 54 pupils who sat that for PLE, passed in Division One and Two. Kagame’s result slip shows he passed in Division One, scoring 83% in English, 86% in General Paper and 90% in Mathematics, with a total of 259 out of 300.
The school’s headteacher, Francis Ruhweza, says: “The pupils at that time had a positive attitude towards their education. And their parents would encourage them to study. Today, most parents are not supportive of the education of their children.â€
Ruhweza says the donation from Kagame is timely and will be used to re-roof, rebuild the floor, walls, and verandah and fix glass windows in the classrooms.
At the school, the big compound is neatly planted with flowers. But the buildings, including the historical class block in which Kagame studied, were affected by an earthquake and have developed cracks.
“The buildings are in a sorry state. The roofs of some blocks were blown off by the storm. There are no doors and windows on some classroom blocks,†says Ruhweza. He adds that there is a shortage of textbooks, lack of staff accommodation and water supply. Also, the staff quarters that were built in the 1960s are dilapidated.