890 Rwandan School Leaders Removed

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A total of 890 school leaders in Rwanda have been removed from their management positions after failing a nationwide performance evaluation, and have been reassigned to teaching roles, education authorities have confirmed.

The assessment covered 5,277 leaders from public and government-aided primary and secondary schools, including head teachers, deputy head teachers in charge of academics, and deputy head teachers in charge of discipline.

Evaluation Required by Law

The evaluation was conducted under the 2024 Teachers’ Statute, which requires school leaders to undergo performance assessments every three years. It also applied to leaders who had been appointed within three years before the law came into force.

The process began in November 2024 and was conducted at both district and national levels.

How the Evaluation Was Conducted

According to the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), district-level assessments focused on attendance, work discipline, leadership conduct, and compliance with five pillars of good school governance:

Vision and strategic leadership
Teacher support and supervision
Student welfare and academic support
Financial and asset management
Collaboration with parents and the community

Each school leader was scored out of 100.

At the national level, REB administered four standardized assessments, including a written test on governance principles using real-life school management scenarios.

Leaders were also tested on:

English language proficiency
Student academic performance trends over the previous three years

70 Percent Required to Retain Leadership Role

District scores accounted for 50 percent, while REB’s national evaluation made up the remaining 50 percent. Only leaders who scored 70 percent or higher were allowed to remain in leadership positions.

REB Deputy Director General Dr. Flora Mutezigaju said leaders scoring below the threshold were deemed unfit to manage schools.

“Anyone who scored 69.9 percent was considered not sufficiently competent to lead a school and was reassigned to teaching duties,” she said.

Poor Discipline and Financial Mismanagement Cited

REB said many of the removed leaders performed poorly in conduct and ethics, particularly in how they treated teachers, students, and community members.

Others were cited for mismanagement of school funds and assets.

“In many cases, school meals were misused, leaders were frequently absent, and financial accountability was weak,” Dr. Mutezigaju said.

The evaluation also revealed that a significant number of the removed leaders:

Failed the English proficiency test
Oversaw schools where student performance declined over the past three years

Breakdown of Affected Leaders

Among the 890 leaders removed:

349 were from primary schools (39.2 percent)
541 were from secondary schools

Those evaluated included:

773 deputy head teachers in charge of discipline
1,425 deputy head teachers in charge of academics
1,415 primary school head teachers
1,664 secondary school head teachers

Implementation Starts in 2025/2026 Term Two

The decision will take effect in the second term of the 2025/2026 academic year.

According to REB:

500 of the removed leaders passed teaching qualification exams and will be immediately deployed as teachers
300 schools will be temporarily led by acting head teachers as recruitment begins

By March 2026, REB expects all schools to have permanent leadership in place.

What Happens to Those Without Teaching Posts

School leaders who are not immediately placed in teaching positions will:

Be placed on a waiting list for six months while receiving two-thirds of their salary
After six months, remain on the list for 12 additional months without pay
If no placement is found after that period, they will receive severance benefits as provided by law

Leaders who choose not to return to teaching will be dismissed.