The 20-week program was launched in August 2023, and is part of the wider Secondary Teachers English Language Improvement Rwanda initiative, which aims to improve the English language proficiency of Lower Secondary Teachers in the Rwandan state education system.

The program was delivered virtually to the learners in Rwanda by NILE’s language consultants, through designated digital tablets loaned to them for the duration of the course.

“The Rwandan public education system now includes a team of well prepared, confident trainers, ready to deliver good quality sessions online which will model teaching skills and inclusive methodology they have learned from their e-trainers,” said Ruth Bath, senior trainer and STELIR project coordinator at British Council Rwanda.

A small key group of local English teacher trainers who completed the program have participated by continuing the ongoing English Language teacher training support to Rwandan teachers.

Mike Riley, NILE managing director, told The PIE the team involved were “huge” in making the project a success.

“These trainers were willing to deliver sessions Saturdays and Sundays.

“There are also resource issues in many parts of Rwanda, so we had occasions where we had the trainer in Zoom and nobody there. But with the local support [from British Council Rwanda], we were able to manage those kind of logistical problems,” he said.

Some 6,000 teachers across 14 districts, plus 1,000 Lower Secondary Pre-Service teachers have benefited from the training at the University of Rwanda College of Education (URCE), implemented by British Council, through STELIR and the Mastercard Foundation.

“With the local support, we were able to manage those kind of logistical problems”

The program included regular e-teacher moderator lessons and self-study modules in English vocabulary and grammar, with end-of-module assessments being conducted via the Rwandan Education Board (REB) learning platform.

“It’s been an incredibly productive experience engaging in live sessions with our e-Trainer throughout the training program, enhancing our skills to deliver English language lessons effectively as teachers,” said Jean, a graduate of the program.

The ultimate goal of improving learning opportunities for lower secondary pupils aligns with an ongoing seven-year strategic plan for the Rwandan Education system to improve the access, quality, and relevance of education, which is now being seen as the most critical investment in Rwanda’s economic future.