More than 800 school heads across Rwanda have been removed from their leadership positions following a nationwide performance assessment conducted by the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB).
REB announced that 890 school leaders failed to meet the minimum required score of 70 percent and were consequently relieved of their managerial duties. Those affected include 349 primary school heads and 541 secondary school heads, all of whom will continue working within the education system as classroom teachers.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Flora Mutezigaju, Deputy Director General of REB, said the decision was based on a rigorous, two-stage evaluation process that began at the district level and concluded with a national assessment administered by REB.
She explained that the evaluation examined several core areas, including school vision and leadership, support for teaching and learning, management of government-allocated resources, and collaboration with parents.
“Each district submitted performance evaluations of school heads, after which REB conducted its own assessments,” Dr. Mutezigaju said. “We administered four examinations. The first focused on good governance, to assess whether school leaders understand and apply the five pillars of effective leadership.”
She added that the assessment also reviewed how school heads address student dropout cases and implement reintegration strategies. English language proficiency was another key component, as it is considered essential for effective school leadership and communication.
In addition, REB analyzed each school’s academic performance over the past three years as part of the evaluation.
“Out of 5,277 school leaders assessed, 890 scored below 70 percent, representing 16 percent who did not meet the required standard,” Dr. Mutezigaju said.
REB further noted that the assessment revealed significant weaknesses among the dismissed leaders in areas related to ethical conduct and financial management.
“In many cases, the school heads who were removed scored particularly low in integrity, accountability, and resource management,” she said.
Dr. Mutezigaju added that a large proportion of those removed from leadership positions were primary school heads holding A2-level secondary school qualifications.
She emphasized, however, that removal from leadership does not imply a lack of professional competence.
“If someone were entirely incapable, they would not remain in the classroom,” she said. “These are trained and qualified teachers. Their challenge lies in leadership, which requires specific skills and is not suited to everyone.”
