Rwanda is preparing to roll out a five-year Teacher Training College (TTC) programme this September, but one key aspect of the reform is still being finalised: where will the students complete the additional two years of study?
Education officials say discussions are ongoing on whether trainees will spend all five years in Teacher Training Colleges or complete the final two years at the University of Rwanda's College of Education. Another option under consideration is upgrading selected TTCs to accommodate the expanded programme.
The decision forms part of a broader reform aimed at raising the qualification of primary school teachers from the current Advanced Level (A2) certificate to a bachelor's degree over the next decade.
The reforms, announced by the Ministry of Education, will take effect with students enrolling in Year One from the 2026/27 academic year beginning on September 7. Current TTC students will continue under the existing curriculum until they graduate.
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Speaking to The New Times, the Deputy Director General of the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), Flora Mutezigaju, said the reform seeks to produce ethical, competent and professional teachers capable of meeting both national and regional standards.
Why the current programme is changing
According to Mutezigaju, the existing three-year TTC curriculum is heavily loaded with academic content, particularly subject specialisations, leaving limited time for professional teacher preparation.
Essential courses such as pedagogy, classroom management, child development, and the sociological and philosophical foundations of education receive insufficient attention despite being central to effective teaching.
She added that student teachers currently spend only about three months on school attachment, limiting their exposure to real classroom environments and reducing opportunities to develop practical teaching skills before entering the profession.
"The curriculum is so packed that professional courses, which are what truly prepare someone to become a teacher, receive very little time. As a result, the training period is not sufficient to produce the kind of professional teacher we want," she said.
Raising qualifications to regional standards
The reform also addresses the nation's comparatively lower entry qualification for primary school teachers.
"Currently, Rwanda is the only country in the East African Community where primary school teachers can begin teaching after completing only 12 years of education with an A2 certificate. By comparison, many African countries require between 14 and 17 years of education, with a diploma or bachelor's degree increasingly becoming the minimum qualification," she said.
According to Mutezigaju, the lower qualification, limits teachers' professional competencies and reduces opportunities for Rwandan teachers to work in other countries where higher qualifications are required.
The reform will therefore be implemented in two phases.
The first phase will raise the minimum qualification from an A2 certificate to a Diploma in Education through a revised five-year TTC programme.
The second phase will further upgrade the qualification to a bachelor's degree in education.
"It is envisioned that within the next ten years, the minimum qualification required to teach in primary schools in Rwanda will be a bachelor's degree, in line with emerging global standards," she said.
What will change in the five-year programme?
Mutezigaju explained that expanding the Teacher Training College programme by two additional years required a comprehensive revision of the current curriculum, transforming it into a five-year programme.
The revised curriculum will redefine what is taught in each year and will be aligned with teacher education curriculum in East African Community. The new curriculum will place stronger emphasis on professional courses and teaching practicum, with the aim of preparing highly competent and professional primary school teachers.
Under the revised programme, TTC students will specialise in three areas: Mathematics and Science Education, Social Sciences and Language Education and Early Childhood and Lower Primary Education
The curriculum will also expand school-based teaching practice, allowing student teachers to spend more time in classrooms before graduation.
According to Mutezigaju, the revised programme has been aligned with teacher education curricula across the East African Community to improve both quality and regional competitiveness.
Existing teachers encouraged to upgrade qualifications
The reforms will not directly affect in-service teachers who currently hold A2 qualifications. However, Mutezigaju says they are encouraged to upgrade their qualifications through universities offering teacher education programmes, including the University of Rwanda's College of Education and other accredited institutions.
Meanwhile, students who complete the new five-year TTC programme and wish to upgrade to an A0 qualification will only need an additional two years to obtain a bachelor's degree. This is unlike students enrolling directly into a bachelor's programme, who typically study for four years.
Mutezigaju also noted that the 12-Year Basic Education (12YBE) structure will remain unchanged. TTC students will sit the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) examinations at the end of year three and receive the standard certificate of completion. They will then proceed with the additional two years of teacher training, after which they will be awarded a diploma from the University of Rwanda's College of Education.
Current TTC tutors, infrastructure plans still under discussion
Although the duration of teacher training will increase from three to five years, Mutezigaju said the reform is not expected to immediately affect the remuneration of current TTC tutors.
She explained that existing TTC lecturers already possess the minimum qualifications required to teach diploma-level students. As a result, no salary adjustments are planned solely because of the extension of the programme.
However, discussions are still ongoing regarding the most appropriate institutional arrangement for delivering the final two years of training.
"The current teachers in TTCs are qualified to teach up to Year Three. Discussions are still underway to determine whether students will complete all five years in TTCs or undertake the final two years at the university. That decision will determine who teaches them and the infrastructure required to fully implement the programme," she said.
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Regarding infrastructure, Mutezigaju acknowledged that expanding the programme will require additional investment, particularly in student accommodation and learning facilities.
If students complete all five years at TTCs, selected colleges will need to be upgraded with additional dormitories, classrooms, and other supporting facilities.
Alternatively, if the final two years are offered at the University of Rwanda's College of Education, investment will instead focus on expanding the university's capacity to accommodate the additional students.
A final decision on the implementation model is expected once the ongoing consultations are concluded.
Scholarships to continue
The government also intends to maintain financial support for TTC students.
Mutezigaju said the current incentive, under which government covers 50 percent of training costs for primary teacher trainees, will continue despite the programme's extension.
"There is nothing that is going to change simply because the programme has become five years. Government support will continue," she said.
Measuring success
Mutezigaju highlighted that they expect graduates to possess stronger pedagogical knowledge, greater classroom confidence and improved professional competencies, resulting in better learning outcomes for primary school learners.
The reform also seeks to make teaching a more attractive profession while ensuring Rwandan teachers meet qualifications recognised across the East African region and beyond.
