Primary leaving examinations started earlier Monday in Rwanda with the government imposing strict restrictions against COVID-19.
The ministry of Education said that a total of 254,678 pupils have registered to sit for the exams nationwide, of which 54 per cent sitting for the exams are female candidates.
This is the first series of national examinations at primary level to be conducted since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March last year.
In case a candidate tests positive for the virus, the government has issued guidelines to follow.
The ministry said that 52 students tested positive for the virus countrywide.
“But they will be able to sit for the exams, they are in isolation rooms where they are doing examinations in their respective centres,”the State Minister for ICT and TVET, Claudette Irere said.
The national exams will be conducted for three days where the candidates will cover a total of five subjects, starting with mathematics and social and religious studies on day 1.
On the second day, candidates will do science and elementary technology.
According to the National Examinations and Schools Inspection Authority (NESA), ordinary (O Level) exams will start on 20 July 2021, with 122,320 candidates compared to 119,932 candidates in 2019. The exams will go through 27 July 2021.
The O-level candidates comprise 67,685 girls and 54,635 boys. The total number of O-level candidates represents an increase of 2% compared to 2019 with 119,932 candidates.
CU/abj/APA