World Bank Paints Grim Picture of Rwanda’s Education, Labour Market – THE CHRONICLES

Although strides have been made, the level of skill development in Rwanda remains insufficient for achieving the country’s development ambitions, says the latest World Bank Economic Update released today.

As a result, a significant skills gap exists in Rwanda due to a mismatch between the demand and supply of qualified labor.

Out of the 4 million employed individuals, the report says 83 percent have completed only basic education or less, 8.8 percent have secondary education, and 8.2 percent have tertiary education.

“The proportion of the workforce with just basic education or less is one of the lowest in the region,” says the report. “As a result, Rwanda’s workforce has a World Economic Forum skills score of 37.9, which is below most regional and aspirational peers, except Ethiopia.”

The state of skills in Rwanda is said to vary significantly across sectors, with agriculture and industry having the lowest skill levels. As in many countries, Rwanda’s agricultural employment is marked by lower educational attainment. In agriculture, 98 percent of the workforce has basic education or less, placing Rwanda in a more difficult position than any African or aspirational peers.

Similarly, says the World Bank, the skill level in the key tradable sectors of manufacturing and mining, with the share of basic education estimated at 78 percent and 80 percent, respectively, remains low compared to peers, underscoring competitiveness challenges for Rwandan firms.

So what is causing this state of affairs?

The World Bank says Rwanda’s limited skill achievement stems from challenges in basic education, including poor quality, inequitable access, and low enrollment.

The average gross enrollment ratio in primary education between 2015 and 2021 exceeded 100 percent due to the inclusion of over aged and under-aged students, while secondary and tertiary enrollment rates remained low.

Secondary school enrollment rate is estimated at 40.8 percent, partly due to high repetition rates at primary and lower secondary levels, with high dropout risks. In 2020/21, the repetition rate stood at 11 percent in primary schools and 9 percent in lower secondary schools, while dropout rates were 9.5 percent at the primary level and 11 percent at the lower secondary level.

This results in a low tertiary enrollment rate of 7.18 percent, below the regional and income group averages of 10 percent for sub-Saharan Africa and 9 percent for low-income countries.

Consequently, many children leave the education system before gaining the foundational skills needed  for gainful self-employment, higher education, or further training.

The report says Rwanda faces low education quality alongside high dropout rates, with suboptimal learning outcomes even at foundational levels. According to the 2021 Learning Achievement in Rwandan Schools (LARS), only 10 percent of grade 3 students achieved basic proficiency in English, which is the medium of instruction for most subjects.10

In contrast, literacy outcomes in Kinyarwanda were stronger, with 68 percent of grade 3 students reaching proficiency. In mathematics, 61 percent of students met basic proficiency when assessed in Kinyarwanda, but only 16 percent achieved this level when assessed in English. Challenges related to recent changes to language of instruction, teachers’ low proficiency in English, limited capacity, overcrowded classrooms, and double-shifting practices all contribute to poor education quality.

To realize the ambition of becoming a knowledge-based economy, argues the report, Rwanda needs increased and better-targeted investments in secondary education to improve access, quality, and equity, as this is a critical transition stage into tertiary education.

With a worrying state of education, the impact is felt directly on the job market. The formal labor market lacks depth and only absorbs a fraction of the influx of new workers each year. As a result, self-employment and casual labor are expected to remain primary sources of income for new entrants for many years ahead, necessitating increased investment in out-of-school initiatives.

At the same time, private enterprises face serious challenges attracting workers with the required competences. The gap is largely caused by theoretical education with limited practical training, weak industry-academia links, inadequate infrastructure, and a shortage of qualified faculty. Additionally, students may not pursue courses that align with job market needs, while the high cost of enrollment and lack of scholarships limit access to higher education

What needs to be done?

The Bank says strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering,  and Mathematics (STEM) education, starting from basic levels, is crucial for Rwanda’s vision of becoming a globally competitive knowledge-based economy.

Boosting green skills will be crucial for Rwanda to achieve its carbon neutrality goal by 2050 and empower firms and workers to participate in the green economy.

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