Pupils at Mushirarungu Primary School in Rwabicuma Sector, Nyanza District, have accused some teachers of subjecting them to corporal punishment and sending them home over failure to pay school meal contributions.
The allegations come from several pupils who say they face punishment when they have not met daily payments required for school feeding. Some claim they are beaten or dismissed from class until the fees are paid.
“They tell us to bring money for food. If you don’t pay on time, they take a stick and beat you. I was once hit near the eye, and when I tried to report it, I was told to let it go,” one pupil said.
Parents have also raised concern over the practice, saying it is affecting children’s welfare and access to education, particularly in households struggling to meet school-related costs on time.
“We are worried because sometimes we delay in paying for school meals and the children are sent home. Some are beaten and come back injured, which makes them afraid to go to school,” one parent said.
Another parent said the burden is especially difficult for families with multiple children enrolled in the same school, adding that delays in contributions often result in learners being punished or sent home.
Parents are calling for a clearer mechanism between schools and families to manage meal contributions without disrupting learning or exposing children to punishment.
Nyanza District Mayor Kajyambere Patrick told Radio 1, which first reported the allegations, that the matter would be investigated, noting that sending pupils home or expelling them is not permitted under education regulations.
School feeding programmes are part of Rwanda’s national education policy, supported by government subsidies and parental contributions aimed at improving attendance, nutrition and learning outcomes.
However, challenges persist in some schools where delayed payments from parents create tensions in the implementation of the programme, despite official guidelines prohibiting the exclusion or punishment of learners.
