Kigali, 20 May 2025

School authorities have expressed their appreciation to defence and security organs, as well as local authorities, for the construction of Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in various districts in the country to reduce overcrowding and enable teachers to provide more effective support to learners.

The construction of ECD centres is a key component of the Defence and security outreach programme, that seeks to tackle the issue of overcrowded nursery classrooms and prevent children from being enrolled in primary school before reaching the appropriate age.

Christophe Sindikubwabo, Assistant Director in charge of Studies at Groupe Scolaire Murambi in Gatenga Sector, Kicukiro district said that “ECD centres will be of great assistance to us. In the past, parents enrolled children in primary school as young as four years old, which is no longer allowed under the new system. This centre will serve families in Nyanza and Karambo cells, who previously had no such facility nearby. We are truly grateful to our security forces as our concerns are being addressed, and children will now benefit from crucial early learning opportunities.”

Haran Jean Marie Vianney Nanzagahigo, Assistant Director in charge of Studies at Kitabi Technical Secondary School (TSS) in Nyamagabe District, also stressed that the ECD classroom currently under construction will help the school alleviate overcrowding among nursery students.

“At nursery level, we currently have 323 pupils divided across three classrooms. One of those rooms accommodates 145 children. This is a major challenge, as it compromises the quality of education and prevents teachers from giving each child the attention they need. We are therefore very grateful to the security forces, in collaboration with other government institutions for building this additional classroom. It will significantly ease congestion and allow for more effective teaching,” said Nanzagahigo.

The programme aims to construct ten ECD centres across various districts, including Gasabo, Nyarugenge, Kicukiro, Nyagatare, Bugesera, Burera, Gicumbi, Nyamagabe, Rubavu, and Nyabihu. These centres are scheduled for official handover on 4 July 2025, as part of Rwanda’s 31st Liberation Day celebrations.