Harare — A total of 208 Zimbabwean teachers have passed written examinations to enable them to be recruited in Rwanda and will now go through oral interviews next week.

The number of the teachers who passed represents more than 80 percent of those who sat for the online examinations held on Wednesday and Thursday.

Zimbabwe's Permanent Secretary for Public Service Labour and Social Welfare Simon Masanga said Zimbabwe was happy with how the recruitment process was going.

"We had teachers in Gweru Bulawayo Masvingo, Chinhoyi and Harare and the process went on very well," Masanga told Zimbabwe's state controlled Herald newspaper.

"We went through all the candidates and the pass rate is very impressive. It is over 80 percent. Those who passed are going for oral interviews starting from Tuesday up to Friday next week."

Added Masanga: "By the end of the month we are expecting the final result and after the results we then organise for the health checks where we will be assisted by the Ministry of Health and Childcare and the National Social Security Authority. Thereafter people will go for security vetting then they can leave for Rwanda."

He said the teachers will have a pre-departure training in Harare.

Rwanda's Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education in Rwanda, Charles Karakye said: "We expected about 324 teachers then 260 attended. The Memorandum of Understanding we have with the government of Zimbabwe is that Zimbabwe is open for business so we will be coming back to recruit more teachers."

On December 23 last year the Ministry of Education of Rwanda and the Ministry of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare of Zimbabwe signed a Memorandum on exchange of education personnel and expertise.

Rwanda requested teachers from Zimbabwe to bridge longstanding skills gaps and language barriers.

President Paul Kagame announced that Rwanda wanted to recruit quality teachers from Zimbabwe during the Rwanda Zimbabwe Trade and Investment Conference held September in 2021.