The Teaching Assistantships Project is aimed at supporting opportunities for young people in the teaching profession, nurturing them to have interest in education particularly in Science, Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM). Mastercard Foundation partners with Inspire Educate and Empower Rwanda (IEE) in complementing ambitions of the Ministry of Education, to nurture a teaching force, majorly for STEM at 70% and for humanities at 30%, during the current Education Sector Strategic Plan period of 2018/19- 2014/25.

Inspire, Educate and Empower Rwanda (IEE) conducted a two-day orientation session for 116 teachers from selected schools on the implementation of Teaching Assistantships Project (TAP II).  The objective of the orientation was to introduce the host teachers to IEE Rwanda, TAP II and seek their collaboration in the implementation of the TAP II project activities. 

TAP II project is in line with one of the Rwanda’s new Education policy priorities of investing in teaching and learningespecially in Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) and equitable access by encouraging females to take on these subjects, right from pre-primary.The Teaching Assistantships Project is a five-year project funded by Mastercard Foundation through its Leaders in teaching initiative and implemented by IEE Rwanda in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) and other stakeholders. It aims at attracting the best and brightest students, especially young women to the teaching profession and to equip them with relevant experiences and skills. The host teachers were also trained on the role of Teaching Assistants, Teaching Assistant Mentors, host school-based stakeholders, including host teachers’ responsibilities and working relations with Teaching Assistants so that schools can reap from TAP school-based activities. Among other themes discussed in the orientation are Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), conduct classroom observation, provide constructive feedback, using different teaching and learning approaches including Learning through Play, development and use of the teaching and learning materials using the locally available materials among other aspects that promote quality learning and teaching.

This orientation session followed two similar ones organized by IEE Rwanda for Headteachers and Directors of Studies from the 116 selected nine-year and twelve-year Basic Education host schools for the Teaching Assistantships Project (TAP II), seeking their collaboration in the implementation of TAP II project activities as well.

Teaching Assistantships Project, through capacity building and exposure to teaching, intends to inspire the Teaching Assistants to take up teaching career and consider education as area of further academic study and to improve the quality of teaching and learning by engaging the young generation in providing different teaching and learning services in the nearest nine-year and twelve-year basic schools.

StratonNiyigena, one of the host teachers from Ecole Secondaire Cyinzovu in Kayonza District, said that the Teaching Assistants will be an added value in learning and teaching. He urged fellow teachers to establish good rapport with the Teaching Assistantships Mentors and Teaching Assistants in their respective schools and supporting all TAP II school-based activities, right from teaching.“I believe once everyone understands and carries out his/her responsibilities well, we shall have effective teaching and learning. We expect to benefit from the experience of these young and talented Teaching Assistants as they also learn a lot about the teaching profession”, said Niyigena.

After this orientation session, the host teachers will work together with the Teaching Assistants in teaching and learning school-based activities, provision of the remedial programme, improving students’ English proficiency, extracurricular activities, among other aspects that promote quality learning and teaching in TAP II supported schools.

According to Esperance Mukarwego, a host teacher from Groupe Scolaire Uwinkomo in Nyamagabe District, promoting quality teaching and learning under the Teaching Assistantships Project will be achieved once there is strong collaboration among all stakeholders in the Education sector. She added that Teaching Assistants support in collaboration with their mentors and teachers in host schools will improve the quality of teaching and  better students’ academic results.

The IEE’s Deputy Country Director, Betty Kabera, in her closing remarks, commended the work of host teachers and thanked them for their acceptance to host the Teaching Assistants. She reminded that their responsibilities are beyond of being host teachers that they have responsibilities of coaching and mentoring the Teaching Assistants for the success of the project. “You should remember that you are special people selected on basis not how good you are in your subject or knowledgeable you are, rather on basis of good qualities of a good mother and father who can support the Teaching Assistants in their school-based activities but also in their personal development, wellbeing, and safety both at school and out of school”, She urged them to take their responsibilities seriously so that their schools can reap the benefits of TAP II mostly improving the student’s learning outcomes in Rwandan schools which is one of main pillars and aim of the TAP II project. 

Teaching Assistantships Project (TAP II) is an extension of the pilot phase which started in 2019 and ended in 2020. For the first year of the TAP II implementation 2020/2021, 310 Teaching Assistants will be working under 30 District based Teaching Assistantships Mentors to support 116 selected host schools in all 30 Districts countrywide. The Teaching Assistantships Project drives at having   a bigger percentage of Teaching Assistants whose attitudes towards the teaching profession has changed in favor of the teaching profession, whose career choices change to education because of involvement in teaching assistantships, with improved confidence, skills, values, attitudes, and agency at the end of the assistantships among other expected outcomes.

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