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<\/a><\/p>\nCharles Kwizera<\/p>\n
18 December 2011<\/p>\n
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The Minister of Education, Dr. Vincent Biruta, has cleared the air on the issue of boarding schools, which had stirred debate in the last few weeks.<\/p>\n
Media reports had earlier suggested that government was planning to phase out boarding sections in public schools and encourage students to go to schools near their home areas under the new 12-year basic education programme.<\/p>\n
This sparked off a barrage of arguments with most people saying that removal of the sections would further lead to the decline of the quality of education.<\/p>\n
Addressing a post National Dialogue (Umushyikirano) news conference at the Prime Minister’s office, Kimihurura, minister Murigande clarified that there were no plans of removing boarding sections in schools.<\/p>\n
“The plan is to encourage students to study in schools near their home areas, but it is not true that boarding schools are going to be removed because those schools that have been operating these (boarding) sections will continue to do so.”<\/p>\n
Biruta, however, said that, due to cost implications, government has no plans to include boarding sections in its 12-year basic education programme.<\/p>\n
It is planned that traditional boarding schools will be upgraded to serve as centres of excellence, and also play a role in training teachers, especially in science subjects.<\/p>\n
Currently, 2,679 classrooms are under construction, around the country, in preparation for next year’s launch of the 12-YBE programme classes.<\/p>\n
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