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What Does JICA Do in Rwanda?

Strengthening Education and Training in Science and Technology

Overview of the Program for Strengthening Education and Training in Science and Technology

Rwanda's goal for the future, its Vision 2020, envisages a knowledge-based economy that will allow for strong growth. This requires an improved education system producing an inspired and skilled workforce. JICA is helping Rwanda to achieve that goal by focusing its support on science and technology education, and vocational training. These are areas where Rwanda has a need that can be met by Japanese expertise.

JICA provides support to Rwanda's education sector in two main ways. The first is to improve the quality of basic education. JICA has helped to introduce a training system to boost secondary school teaching in science and mathematics. The second is to strengthen Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET) with the ultimate aim of boosting the Rwandan industrial sector. JICA is supporting to establish a technical college as a model TVET Institute, developing strong partnerships with the private sector to guarantee graduates with the requisite high quality skills to match those needed by the Rwandan business sector. JICA is also helping disabled people including ex-combatants to develop the skills they need to get back into work, allowing them to become active members of their communities and contributors to the Rwandan economy.

Improving science and mathematics teaching (Technical cooperation project , Feb 2008 - August 2011)

photoSecondary teachers doing experiment during SMASSE training

JICA has supported the Ministry of Education in introducing a teacher training system to boost secondary school teaching in science and mathematics. Around 10,000 science and mathematics secondary school teachers have been trained in the new system. These teachers have moved away from teacher-centered methods to develop more practical, student-centered methods of teaching.

This project, called Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASSE), has established a learning loop where teachers, old and new, are continuously learning from each other, by reviewing each other's lessons and sharing their best ideas and techniques, with a focus on practical sessions. This is based on a tried and tested method of training from Japan that has been successfully applied to 35 countries across Africa, improving performance in mathematics and sciences education across the continent. SMASSE Phase I provided training programs for in total of 10,973 teachers, emphasizing learner-centred education based on "ASEI-PDSI". It provided a series of cascaded training for in-service teachers, equipped 11 regional In-service Teacher Education and Training (INSET) centres nationwide, and trained national and district trainers. SMASSE Phase I achieved its project purposes as the trained teachers improved their lesson performances significantly, while several challenges remained.

The project of Strengthening School Based Collaborative Teacher training seen as SMASSE phase II aims at realizing more effective lessons to "let students be capable to do" in the school. The project will be launched in January 2013.

JICA has also assisted in the development of new training materials, building the capacity of teacher trainers, and holding special study workshops and science fairs which have all helped Rwanda's science and mathematics teachers to deliver better and more effective lessons which are more likely to captivate their students.

Establishment of a model technical college (Technical Cooperation Project, June 2007 - June 2012 )

photoTCT students in a workshop during industrial attachment

The Rwandan industrial sector needs more people with high quality skills to realize its goals for sustainable strong growth. To respond to this need, the Rwandan Government is eager to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and established Tumba College of Technology (TCT), Rulindo District, Northern Province, as a model TVET institute. The college aims to develop students into technicians with excellent practical skills and theoretical knowledge, an entrepreneurial attitude and a good working knowledge of the business world, so they can contribute towards the economic development of Rwanda's industrial sector.

JICA has worked with TCT on the capacity development of teachers and administrative staff and provided equipment. JICA has also helped the college to establish good links with industry, giving Tumba students access to industrial attachments and ensuring that the college activities match the needs of the East African business sector.

According to a survey conducted in July 2012, 77,5% of the students who graduated from TCT are now employed, self-employed or are in further schooling. Employers say they are making a significant difference in terms of productivity and mastering the skills which proven the college to be leading model in the country.

Despite the achievements, however, TCT still faces some challenges, especially the need to install a "mechanism" that ensures sustainable capacity development of its staff. Furthermore, there are good practices that are not shared in the TVET sector in order to cope with such challenges. The new project as Phase II set to launch in February 2013, will focus on further strengthening of TCT, and dissemination of TCT's experience for the improvement of the TVET policy.

Skills training for disabled people (Technical Cooperation Project, March 2011 - March 2014)

photoECOPD trainees in an electronic class

After the genocide and civil wars many people, including ex-combatants, were permanently disabled. JICA has been working with the Rwanda Demobilization Reintegration Commission to help ex- combatants and people with disabilities (ECOPD) to learn a range of new skills to allow them find jobs and contribute to community development.

With JICA's support, nine Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) are being revamped to become more accessible to those with disabilities, including the introduction of ramps and disabled toilets. Over a six-month period trainees at these centres can acquire a vocational skill including plumbing, catering, knitting or construction. At the end of that period, JICA provides starter kits to help trainees establish or participate in cooperatives so they can begin working. So far 1,371 people have received training with JICA’s support and JICA aims to help provide training for around 1,000 more by 2014.


Developing stronger links between schools and industry (Expert, Sep 2011 - January 2012)

As well as developing the skills of individuals and individual institutions in the regions, JICA is also working at the centre to help the Government of Rwanda to develop its management systems for its education sector to ensure the effort put into Rwanda's development now can be sustained into the future.

Mr Tatsumi Aragaki is an expert in Training Vocational and Education Training development brought to Rwanda by JICA. He is helping the Workforce Development Authority (WDA) to build up its systems for developing industrial attachments. These improvements will then be rolled out to the 10 vocational and technical schools in Rwanda. He is also looking at how curriculums can be matched with market needs

The aim is to contribute towards the development of a generation of qualified technicians who have experience of real industrial activity, who can move more seamlessly from education into becoming a productive member of the workforce.

Supporting Science and technology teachers (On-going, Volunteers)

photoJICA volunteer demonstrating (Photo K.Imamura/JICA)

Currently, around 10 JICA volunteers with experience in teaching are working hand in hand with science and mathematics teachers across Rwanda, bringing new ideas on how to bring these subjects alive for pupils. They are working in subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer technology and electronics.

The volunteers both teach their assigned subject and encourage their Rwandan counterparts to introduce more practical experiments into their lessons to help pupils to learn more easily.

Mathematics and science volunteer teachers also organize monthly workshops for Rwandan teachers, as well as festivals for pupils where they demonstrate fun experiments to create a greater enthusiasm for science and technology.


Developing individual capacity (Training)

JICA's training program aims to develop the capacity of key individuals so that they can use their learning to feed into Rwanda's overall development.

JICA offers short and long term training opportunities to Rwandans in many different subjects. The training courses are designed to strengthen JICA's ongoing projects, encourage dissemination of the knowledge acquired and give trainees the skills needed to help formulate new projects.

Every year, the average seats for JICA training program are 60 allowing around 100 Rwandese to attend the training. There are different types of training offered by JICA. Young Leaders training which is short-term study-tours designed for young people (< 35 years old) to learn from their peers, country and history. Group-Type, it is region/area focused and issue focused; usually these trainings range from 3 weeks to 9 months. Counterparts training may be short or long-term training opportunities offered people related to JICA projects and Third-Country training which take place in other countries, not Japan.

Ex-participants are expected to brief their fellow staff on lessons learnt and how acquired skills will be put on use for improved service delivery.

JICA ex-participants have created JICA Alumni Association of Rwanda (JAAR) aiming at contributing to the development of the country by using the knowledge and skills of its members who have benefited from JICA's training program. It engages in activities related to Environment, Agriculture, Education, Health, ICT and Infrastructure as well as Community Development.

Other projects related to the program Supporting the National ICT Strategy (2011 - 2012, Expert)

Mr. Atsushi Yamanaka, is an ICT expert supported by JICA who is working within the Rwanda Development Board on the development of a National ICT Strategy, part of Rwanda's goal to establish a knowledge-based economy. Mr. Yamanaka is helping to foster ownership of the ICT strategy as well as reinforce the monitoring and evaluation framework.

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