Rwanda’s Education minister, Dr. Valentine Uwamariya on Monday unveiled new plans to explore option to remove mandatory school starting age.
She said despite their young age children will be able catch up with their older classmate.
The moves comes after some members of lower chamber of Rwandan parliament have suggested that that children start school should be at an early age instead of four in Primary and below 2 years old in kindergarten.
“The move to lower the starting age to give those children an extra term at school is to be an appropriate option,” Dr Uwamariya said without elaborating on the date the new decision will come into force.
The declaration by the senior Rwandan government officials comes at a time Covid-19 has affected schools calendar in the East African country during the pandemic-related school closures since the outbreak in mid March this year.
Reacting to the move, Dr Uwamariya said that the Education ministry is considering on how to adapt a curriculum that may be tailored to the needs of these young school-going children.
“There would be some advantages for younger children where school starting ages are below the standards norms recommended by relevant agencies,” Dr Uwamariya said.
Rwanda’s Education ministry decided to suspend all schools and universities due to the coronavirus outbreak in mid-March.
The schedule for reopening that was announced last October highlighted that primary and secondary schools that follow the national curriculum will reopen in phases, as the country gears towards full resumption.
CU/as/APA