RWANDA : Government to Boost Primary School Internet By 2024

The government of Rwanda is reported to be aiming to connect at least 60% of the country’s primary schools to the internet by 2024. Par Vaughan O’grady

Diane Sengati, the Director of Digital Content and Instructional Technology at Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), said that, at the moment, only 20 per cent of primary schools and 57% of secondary schools are connected. This is despite estimated internet penetration of 66% in the country as a whole.

She mentioned the 60% target but added that due to lack of power and internet penetration, some schools are yet to be connected. The New Times also cited Emmanuel Mfitumukiza, the Chairperson of the Internet Society Rwanda Chapter, who suggestd that most of the country’s rural schools are not yet connected.

The aim is to work with partners in order to equip over 88,000 teachers in secondary, primary and nursery schools with laptops to facilitate smart learning in Rwanda. Currently, 57% of teachers have laptops across the country, according to Sengati.

It’s not clear how this transformation will be enabled. However, In 2017, when the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1), which targets universal internet connectivity in public schools by 2024, kicked off, Rwanda’s internet connectivity in public secondary schools was at only 12%. It is well past the halfway mark now.