Awards in Education

Friday

September 6 Part II

After our gift shopping, we planned to attend the Awarding Best Innovations and Practices in Schools, which was being held at the Ministry of Education from 1:00 – 5:00 in the afternoon. This is the first time these awards have been given. It has been the vision of the current Minister of Education, Minister Eugene, former Chair of the Maranyundo School Board. He enlisted the support of a number of groups, including UNICEF, Bank of Rwanda, Rwanda Air, Huawei and local businesses. The event would showcase  interesting ways students and teachers in Rwanda are bringing the tenets of Competence Based Education to life…every day.

National support for education and innovation in schools…especially those ideas and practices that have improved the quality of life for communities of young people and adults, as well.

The Definition of Innovation that the Ministry used to determine awardees was explained by the MC. For me, it had a particularly Rwandan perspective. Innovation needed to be useful to society, good for the community.  It must be an innovation that can be replicated to meet the needs of others. In this way, innovation is characterized by making use of new approaches to thinking about an issue; problem solving that indicates a different way of thinking. Rwandan education particularly  identifies the STEM subjects as promoting social good. It values addressing social change through research and applied examples.  

Areas that clearly were highlighted throughout the awards were reducing the drop out rate, dental health, the impact of rural women teachers, and student work that reflects innovation and application of classroom knowledge. Here are a few of the projects that received awards:

• 25 rural women teachers were commended for their exemplary performance and commitment to supporting all learners

• A teacher had started a museum in her school dedicated to teaching about Kinyawanda language and culture, a theme embedded in many lessons.

• FAWE teachers were recognized for their efforts on drop out prevention, engaging lessons and improved student hygiene

• A chemistry teacher who had few lab supplies was commended for using local supplies to teach chemistry lessons. His students made  soap and other cleaning products.

• A Sister was recognized for starting a project to sell rabbits to raise money for school fees to support children whose families could not afford the cost.

• A student had developed an APP to help a rural village be more efficient in distributing water. He was given a scholarship to continue his education at a technical program.

Students at Maranyundo School won two awards.: the Maranyundo Maker Space students won an award for figuring out how to design pieces they needed for a robot and printing them on the 3-D printer. Two girls were awarded round trip tickets to AE and attendance at a technology workshop.

A 2^nd award was given to three students who developed an  App which could be used by families to report student absences to schools. This reflected the critical need the Ministry has to reduce drop out rate. Families can communicate with a school. The school then reports absences to the Ministry  to note student absences so educators can begin to support  students and family to have student come to school

Maranyundo student TETA Kelsy spoke for the students who had been recognized.

Citing students who come from different backgrounds and schools each able to work with the information and knowledge they gain in class and use it to make something She clearly reflected the Competency Based education model that Rwanda is adopting. Big ideas and knowledge are essential for an educated nation. But it is also important that people learn to work together to bring good ideas into something that can help solve community needs.

She was an eloquent student voice for what these awards were developed to support. Education is becoming an essential to Rwanda as it continues to grow its economy and its entrepreneurial culture.