In the Busengo sector there are an estimated total of 21.000 children under the age of 19.
There are 11 state-run primary schools within the sector with a total of 6.200 pupils. The primary schools are scattered around the sector and are often not accessible by car, so most students spend a minimum of one hour going to and coming back from school (total of 2 hours a day). Attending primary school is free in Rwandan state schools, but there is a mandatory economic contribution for receiving a meal during the school day.
There are 6 state-run secondary schools in the sector offering Ordinary Level (O-level), comprising a total of 1.200 students. There is only one secondary school offering Advanced Level (A-level) in humanities called groupe scolaire KANINA which comprises 51 students (22 of whom are currently in the final grade 6). Attending secondary school in Rwanda is free, however there is a mandatory economic contribution for receiving a meal during the school day.
Due to the lack of adequate and sufficient secondary education in the sector, the new parish priest has worked in close collaboration with the ministry of education to build a state-run vocational day-school (offering: construction, agriculture and animal care). This state-run vocational school opened in September 2024. This new opportunity give the +6000 primary students another, possibly more relevant, option to further educate themselves once they finish primary school.
As previous mentioned, there is currently a high level of primary school drop-out as attending school comes with associated economic and time commitments, neither of which the families have, accompanied with a perception that pursuing education does not lead to increased economic and social development. To address these obstacles, the SPOT project, in close collaboration with the parish, offer scholarships for students coming from the poorest and most marginalised families who are struggling to keep their children in school. In parallel the SPOT project work on changing the mind-set of the local community regarding the opportunities that pursuing education can offer.
