Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana has urged parents to remain actively involved in their children’s education by regularly checking on their wellbeing, monitoring their behaviour and visiting them at school.
The minister made the call as the 2026/27 academic year began, in a message addressed to students, teachers and parents.
After more than two months of holiday, Nsengimana encouraged students to return to school with renewed focus and commitment, urging them to take their studies seriously and work hard to achieve the success expected by their families and the country.
“Now is the time to return to school and get back into your studies. Your responsibility is to learn, so work hard and strive for success, which your families and the country expect of you,” he said.
Nsengimana also reminded students that effective time management and discipline are key to making the most of their time at school.
“Learning requires commitment and enough time, but it must also go hand in hand with doing everything at the right time. When it is time to study in class, study seriously. When it is time to learn through practical activities, do that properly as well, along with the other activities your teachers ask you to undertake,” he said.
The minister described parents as the education system’s primary partners and called on them to take a more active role in following up on their children while they are at school.
“We thank you for spending the holidays with your children, and we have no doubt that they gained many positive things during that time. A child needs you to visit them at school on the designated visiting day, find out how they are doing and how their behaviour is developing, and talk to them regularly to remind them that good conduct is important and that they should avoid bad habits,” he said.
He also urged teachers to approach their work with dedication and professionalism, noting that parents entrust schools with a major responsibility for educating and raising their children.
“Do your work with dedication, passion and professionalism, and teach them properly as expected,” he said.
The first term of the 2026/27 academic year runs for 15 weeks and will end on December 18, 2026. Students will then break for the holidays before returning for the second term on January 4, 2027.
The second term will end on April 2, 2027, while the academic year is scheduled to conclude on July 2.
National examinations at the end of the academic year are scheduled to run from July 6 to July 23, 2027.
