Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) has said that in the upcoming fiscal year, it plans to distribute a new book detailing the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi to students and young people in schools.
There are 4,842 schools with pre-primary, primary, secondary, and TVET Level one to Level 5, with 4,159,782 learners in all levels.
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The book dubbed "Le Génocide perpétré contre les Tutsi du Rwanda expliqué à ses Enfants" loosely translated as "The Genocide against the Tutsi Explained to its Children" was launched by Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), Aegis Trust and its author Jean-Marie Vianney Rurangwa on April 11.
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In a dialogical and pedagogical style, the author, through a main character he named 'Professor Jean de Dieu Namahire' explains the unheard-of crimes that destroyed Rwanda in 1994 by answering children and youth's questions about its genesis, its execution, and its memory.
This book delves into the question of how parents can discuss the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi with their children.
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"The work easily instructs any reader. It is a high-quality didactic tool for parents and teachers," Rurangwa explained.
The book provides innovative and artistic tools to engage both parents and educators in fostering a deeper understanding of this historical event, the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and explain it to children.
It is written in the form of dialogue and answers the children's various questions. The main character takes these children to major Genocide memorials across the country.
These include Nyamata in Bugesera, Kigali memorial, Murambi, and Bisesero memorials which are currently UNESCO World Heritage sites.
At the end of the visit to the memorials, the children Jean, Yannick, Alice, and Yvan ask questions relating to the Genocide against the Tutsi to Professor Jean de Dieu Namahire.
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"I tried to answer all the questions that the children ask this teacher Namahire," explained Rurangwa.
Nelson Mbarushimana, the Director General of REB, said the book will support campaigns against genocide ideology in schools.
"This book provides valuable insights, and resources for our educators to teach history to students effectively. It also contributes to the preservation and dissemination of the history knowledge to today's generation, and future generations.
"Our students deserve to know more about our past, more specifically on the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. We need more writers in our society who can tell our story as Rwandans. Basic education sector will continue to teach history as a lesson in our classrooms, and the topic of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi will remain irreplaceable to our students," he said.
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He pledged that the book will be distributed in schools in the 2024/25 fiscal year.
"Next fiscal year, every school will have copies of the book so that they are used in their libraries. Parents can also buy such books to use at home. We need more books to complement our curriculum," he said.
Freddy Mutanguha, the CEO of Aegis Trust, emphasised the significance of the book: "This book serves as a beacon of remembrance, offering a thoughtful and practical guide for parents and educators in the delicate and challenging task of teaching young people the painful, yet crucial, history of our country. This book launch is an invitation for a call to action for memory transmission and a testament to the power of education in building a more compassionate world."
Mutanguha also highlighted the book launch's great timeliness, saying, "This marks a significant milestone in the ongoing battle against genocide ideology, as we strive to equip the younger generation with the knowledge and understanding needed to build a future free from the shadows of the past."
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According to Apollo Gahongayire, an expert in peace and education values, the book is needed in languages that are used in Rwanda.
"When you teach the country's history such as the Genocide against the Tutsi in the mother language, it brings about a big impact. The book will help teach children completing primary school and those in high school about Genocide history," he said.
Alice Uwimana, a high school teacher in Nyagatare District, mentioned that the new book aims to tackle the lack of teaching materials for history regarding the Genocide against the Tutsi that they were encountering.
"Children and youth ask us so many questions about Genocide history. Sometimes we fail to answer due to a lack of knowledge about it. The book with questions and answers helps explain history to children and youth. Parents should also use the book and supplement the teachers to educate our children," she said.
