blf digest - building learning foundations

BLF Digest, September 2019

Collaborative learning

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BLF DIGEST


BLF DigestIssue No: 2 September 2019

Improving Learningoutcomes in English &Mathematics in lowerprimary education in Rwanda



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Table of Content

In this issue of the BLF digest-Collaborative learning

Foreword by BLF Team Leader, Anders Lonnqvist 3

I am a school leader equipped to bring change 4

How schools are making communities of practice meetings work innovatively 5

Quality education begins in early grades 6

Headteachers’ Professional Companion improving leadership for learning 8

English digitized toolkit for teachers of lower primary launched in Kigali 9

A spotlight on how Communities of practice meetings improve teaching practices 10

Are communities of Practice meetings addressing Professional Development needs of teachers? 12

Self-study an ingredient to proper learning 14

I used to hate maths class 15

Building inclusive practices in Rwanda’s education system 16

A blended English course for mentors 18

Rwanda Govt to distribute 4 million DFID funded textbooks in public schools 20

International Literacy day celebrated in Rwanda 22

In photos: Launch of English and Mathematics textbooks 23

The BLF Digest Magazine is free of charge and will be distributed on a quarterly basis You can download the e-magazine as a pdf file at: www.buildinglearningfoundations.rw

BLF Address:

Aigle Blanc BuildingKimihurura, KG 501 St StreetP. O Box 4251 Kigali, RwandaPhone: +250 788 318 509Email: [email protected]: www.buildinglearningfoundations.rw

Design and Printing:

Touch Media Design Ltd

Contributers

Georgine MukarugiraVanessa KomiliadesDieudonne Bugingo KamanaDiane UwihirweDonvan AmenyaWendy Fox

Editors:

Faith MbabaziMelba PayneMary LucasJean Pierre Mugiraneza Silas BahigansengaSarah Challoner



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Foreword by Anders Lonnqvist, BLF Team Leader

Welcome to the 2nd edition of the BLF Digest, our quarterly magazine that focuses on what we are doing to improve learning outcomes in English and Mathematics at lower primary for three million children in Rwanda.

This is a special edition that focuses on the importance of Community of Practice (CoP) meetings for teachers of English and Mathematics. The articles in this issue will give you some great insight about what CoPs are, how they are organised and how they support teachers to improve their practice.

A community of Practice (CoP) is formed by a group of professionals sharing something in common, eg; P1 to P3 English or Mathematics teachers who meet regularly to help each other improve their practice by various means like group study activities, solving problems together, co-planning, sharing materials and lesson ideas, watching teaching videos, micro teaching, making teaching aids and many more.

It is the expectation of Rwanda Education Board that all teachers regularly engage in continuous professional development activities (CPD) and for P1-P3 teachers, it is expected that they should engage in Community of Practice meetings at school level at least once a month.

Building Learning Foundations has since 2017 been developing teachers’ self-directed learning skills as well as providing support and resources to enable them to participate in continuing professional development at school level.

All teachers attended sector-level orientation sessions where they learnt about the BLF approach to self-directed learning, got introduced to the toolkits’ resources, practiced using the smartphones and digital files, and planned their first school-based Community of Practice meetings. Within the school’s Communities of Practice meeting, the BLF field teams share good practice from other schools, help school-based teams overcome local problems,

and support teachers to reflect on their learning and engage in other school-based training activities.English and Mathematics School Subject Leaders (SSLs) facilitate monthly, school-based Community of Practice sessions with other English and Mathematics teachers to discuss, reflect on, and share learnings based on their use of the toolkits. BLF field staff (Sector Learning Facilitators) visit all schools regularly to provide technical assistance and support SSLs and teachers to meet their learning goals.

We have learnt that as Communities of Practice meetings become more effective, teachers engage in richer, shared learning experiences and discuss and reflect on their lessons, share good practices, and identify areas for improvement.

In this issue we highlight the approach of Building Learning Foundations to supporting and empowering schools to organise Community of practice meetings and their relevance to improved learning outcomes. These articles help you explore the approach and the role of school leaders and education officials in strengthening them as part the wider CPD programmes at school level. This publication also features stories from Head Teachers, teachers, and BLF’s Sector Learning Facilitator who share their experiences in relation to supporting the Communities of practice of teachers of Mathematics and English at lower primary levels.

We sincerely hope you enjoy the reading and that you will be inspired by the testimonies.

We would love to hear feedback from you. Share your thoughts with us on email [email protected] and visit our website www.buildinglearningfoundations.rw for more information about our work.Enjoy the reading!

Dear Reader,



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I am a school leader equipped to bring change

My name is Georgine MUKARUGIRA, Headteacher at G.S. St Paul Muko, in Rusizi District, Western Rwanda. I have been the headteacher of this school since 2015. It’s a 12 years basic education, government aided school, owned by the Catholic church. St Paul Muko is a large school with 3,012 students, 48 teachers and 3 administrative staff. My school is one of the best performing schools in the district.

I am passionate about Education and I try my best to keep improving the quality of teaching and learning in my school. In 2018, I got the opportunity of being selected as a National Leader of Learning (NLL) by the Building Learning Foundations programme-(BLF). My learning journey with the support of BLF has been an incredible one. Through the CPD Certificate in Leadership for Learning course, I have learned about effective school leadership, particularly how to set school direction, lead teaching and learning, and involve parents.

I have understood the importance of working collaboratively with all stakeholders, which is crucial when developing a large school like mine. The introduction of Communities of Practice (CoP) meetings in lower primary has generated a sense of collective responsibility amongst English and mathematics teachers

and other members of the school community. Every term, I work together with the teachers, the School Bursar and the Director of Studies to plan for the monthly CoP meetings. This includes designating time for the meetings, delivering training for teachers on reading skills and the use of the dictionary, encouraging them to read the toolkit units and giving support when they face any challenges. It is my responsibility to make sure fruitful discussions and exchange of ideas takes place during every CoP meeting in relation each of the toolkit units studied that month.

CoPs have helped me, my teachers and students to increase the use of English in school, to be more active and to innovate, feeling confident in preparing and developing our own teaching aids and materials. Teachers do not complain anymore about lack of teaching resources ever since they were given the skills to create their own. From the regular visits to the classroom I conduct with the Director of Studies, I have noticed that students are working independently or in small groups and are more responsive. Communication among teachers and students has greatly improved as teachers do more of the listening and engage students. Students are highly motivated and interested in manipulating the teaching aids, they are eager to acquire new knowledge and as a result drop out

has decreased. In addition, the success rate in lower primary in English has increased from 44.7% in 2017 to 57.7% in 2019.

I am now a role model. For instance, I now use English to speak to all my teachers in school during meetings and school activities. I encourage them to also speak to me and to each other in English because the more practice we make, the better our language proficiency becomes. Students try to practice their English during play time. Every week, I participate in the school’s English Club activities. It is a platform for students to develop their speaking and listening skills through songs and poems. It is also an opportunity for teachers and students to meet and discuss education related issues, especially about the role education plays in the development of our country. All these initiatives have made our school one of the most successful schools in the area. All parents want to bring their children to our school. Our School General Assembly Committee (SGAC) members also recognise our achievements and have noticed the changes since the introduction of CoPs. Its members share with parents the information on what is being done differently in the school and it is recognised that children perform better in Mathematics and English. Our results have also been acknowledged by our Sector Education Officer, who regularly participates in the school activities and is very supportive of our work.

As an NLL supporting District level Professional Learning Communities, I have been happy to share my school’s best practice in relation to how well CoPs can be organised. I have been encouraging colleagues in Rusizi district to develop their own ideas based on my experience and with my support. I believe BLF is giving headteachers of Rwanda the opportunity to become successful leaders of learning aiming at improving the quality of English and Mathematics in P1-P3 in Rwandan primary schools. I am looking forward to completing the first year of my CPD Diploma course, which has given me the leadership tools and strategies I need to continue strengthening teaching and learning in my school.

Head Teacher of GS Saint Paul Muko, Ms. Mukarugira Georgine



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How schools are making CoPs work innovativelyRhones and Modeste are teachers who have benefited from the Building Learning Foundations (BLF) programme in their schools. They share how through the Community of Practice meetings supported by BLF facilitators, their teaching practice changed for better.

Modeste’s story

Rhones story

Chantal’s story

My name is Modeste. I am a school-based mentor (SBM) at GS Kimisagara. My role involves supporting teachers to improve their practice and also coordinate the monthly Community of Practice (CoP) meetings. In our sessions of CoPs we discuss the unit we have all read in the toolkit. I lead the discussion asking teachers what they have learnt in particular about that unit. We assess how the learners have benefited from the new teaching practice and how the new techniques have made lessons more interesting for learners. I work collaboratively with the School Subject Leader and teachers to listen to audio and watch video materials and role play in English to boost the confidence of English teachers in speaking.

We also agree on a deadline to have completed reading a unit and agree on venue of conducting the next CoP meeting. Sometimes the Head teacher is present during out CoP meetings and provides constructive feedback.

My other role is to ensure that the teachers have the printed toolkit, smart phone with the same material and SD cards in their own phones.

Some of our challenges include overcrowded classrooms which make engagement with children difficult and lack of time to have sufficient self study because teachers teach two shifts per day. However, with the BLF toolkits of Mathematics and English we are able to implement the Competence Based Curriculum easily as teachers do less talking and learners participate more.

I think I was afraid to be seen as a weak teacher by my peers or my supervisors. And this seemed to be a general reality to most teachers at my school. We were all afraid to start new things like practicing new learning techniques infront of each other. Things changed through the facilitation received from BLF Sector learning facilitators who encouraged us to embrace peer learning as this will improve our teaching practice.

An important aspect that came out of this empowerment is the consideration of inclusive teaching when designing teaching aids. What I learned from the Community of Practice meetings is the consideration of both slow and fast learners in the process of designing effective teaching materials. We all know that topics such as substraction and division are among the toughest topics to cover. I am glad I can now teach differently thanks to constructive feedback from my colleagues at Community of practice meetings.

Research in education confirms that when students receive proper support in Mathematics at their early grade, it impacts their future learning. This truth has become more and more obvious in our daily work as we strive to transform our classrooms and help children achieve real learning. Our participation in the Community of Practice has also contributed in helping teachers refine their skills and increase their knowledge

My name is Ruguma Rhones. I am a P2 English teacher at Ecole Primaire Kimihurura. I hesitated to welcome the idea of learning together.

Teachers of English at GS Byumba Catholique take a break during the CoP meeting

in how to handle Mathematics teaching and how to use proper tools to that effect. The journey is still long, and lot of efforts are still needed but the track is already in motion.

I am Chantal and I have been a School Based Mentor and English Subject Leader at GS Byumba Catholique for three years now. I really enjoy my role and like supporting teachers of English in my school to improve their practice. I was trained by BLF on how to do self study using the English toolkit. Most of the lower primary teachers have never studied English in school. So using the self-study toolkit in our CoPs is of great importance as it acts as a guide for us. I work hand in hand with our Director of Studies who greatly assists us. She allocated every Thursday afternoon at 16h00 to do self-study as a group. I have been able to create a timetable which indicates when we shall have CoP meetings for a whole year. We also ask her to observe some of our classes and give us feedback on what she thinks we should change. The main challenge is speaking English, we have decided that while we are in the school compound, we will only speak to each other in English as a way of improving pronunciation. Most teachers are quite shy when they make mistakes, but I am optimistic that we will make our English-speaking skills perfect.



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Quality education begins in early gradesBy Diane Uwihirwe

My name is Diane Uwihirwe. I am a BLF Sector Learning Facilitator (SLF) in Kayonza district. My role is to coach and mentor teachers of English and Mathematics at P1 to P3 to improve their teaching practice thereby improving learning outcomes of millions of students at lower primary levels.

The teachers I work with are hard workers, they teach double shifts, they have overcrowded classrooms and they still make time to read and practice the BLF English and Mathematics toolkits during breaks. I have witnessed that they work together to learn how to make their teaching resources from old cardboard, bottle tops and plastic bottles which would otherwise be thrown away. This has made lessons quite lively and engaging for students.

In the beginning, it was difficult because the teachers in my district were not familiar with doing self-study, they were afraid to make notes in the toolkit book and quite embarrassed to practice new lesson techniques in front of their colleagues. The women teachers were quite shy to stand amongst colleagues and role play mainly because in our culture, not very many women speak

in public. There was insufficient time to do self-study and organize Community of Practice(CoP) meetings because teachers are over loaded with teaching double shifts and their own personal home assignments to accomplish.

I came up with a solution of having a cheerleader in each school to motivate the team to have regular Communities of Practice meetings to encourage colleagues to use English in school as well as to support them to create their own learning materials. The teacher is randomly selected each month by his or her colleagues.

English COP in Nkondo Primary school

P2 children learn using self made learning materials

“We decide on what teaching materials we will make this week during the CoP. We also agree to observe each others’ lessons and provide feedback during the CoP meeting every month. Initially I was shy, I didn’t want anyone to see what I was doing in class but now, I am more confident” teacher Drocelle narrates.

When I recently visited Nkondo Primary School located in Rwinkwavu Sector, Eastern Rwanda, I observed a Mathematics class taught by teacher Drocelle Nyirabaritonda who has been using the BLF Mathematics toolkit for over a year now. I could see how her teaching techniques have progressed. Her class is beautifully decorated with learning materials stuck up on the wall. These were created by herself and her colleagues in lower primary who were trained by BLF. This is not what her class initially looked like. It was quite refreshing to see after a dusty bumpy ride to this school.



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The story is no different at Ecole Primaire Kabarondo. The teachers say that since they started making use of learning materials in class, school dropout rates have reduced, and children now find classes quite interesting. In some classes, I could hear the children singing new English rhymes I had never heard before.

“The good thing about the BLF toolkits is that they are designed to support the implementation of the Curriculum. We find it useful to discuss in groups what our common challenges are and how we can deal with them collectively”, says Ruzibiza Etienne the School based mentor.Mentors are valuable staff in schools and should be supported to improve teaching and learning. It is important for school coaches like me to use model schools to support struggling schools. Throughout my work with BLF, I have learned that quality education begins at the foundations-early grades. As a young educator, my passion is to ensure that Rwandan

children get the best from schools. I believe that one of the most powerful tools for empowering individuals and communities is making certain that an individual who wants to receive a quality Education can do so. Through BLF I continue to learn every day.



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Headteachers’ Professional Companion is improving leadership for learning

The Building Learning Foundations programme in collaboration with Rwanda Education Board developed a Headteacher’s professional companion that addresses frequently asked questions that were gathered from Rwandan primary school head teachers about leadership for learning. The companion is used as a head teachers’ reference to help answer questions that arise as they lead and manage teaching and learning in their schools as well as when working with other head teachers through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). It has proven to be a useful reference during sessions of structured coaching of other head teachers in the spirit of collective moral purpose of improving not only their own schools but other schools as well.

While developing the companion our team got some great experiences and learnt from the good practice that already existed in Rwandan primary schools. However, it took a harder graft and thought to fashion it into an attractive, accessible, readable and a well organised document. The result was an engaging reference document, illustrated throughout with diagrams, real photographs from Rwandan schools, definitions of terms and sprinkled with invitations and suggestions to “Try this…!”.

The Companion was distributed to every primary school headteacher in the country. I have attended several PLCs and witnessed headteachers using the document. Reactions were very pleasing. They immediately began looking things up and using the index to research the main topic of the PLC on that day.

Head Teacher of GS Kivumu Mukunzi Alain Patrick uses the HTs’ companion

Now with the Companion, I know how to involve everyone” says Mr Emmanuel Mbabazi, Local Leader of Learning and head teacher of GS Nyawera, Mpanga sector, Kirehe District.

“It would be an invaluable research and reference tool. The Head teacher Companion is very helpful and interesting. We have been trying hard to find relevant topics to discuss in our PLCs making it difficult to conduct them.

This Companion could be used in a variety of ways. It can simply be used as a reference tool for leadership techniques, suggestions for solving issues in schools and to stimulate further research by individual headteachers.

A pertinent section at a time could be presented by a Local leader of Learning or a headteacher during a PLC to stimulate action research in schools. It can be used by Sector Education officials who normally coach head teachers to build capacity in their teams like learning about coaching techniques.

Leadership for Learning is the underlying philosophy of the Companion. Therefore, threaded throughout are references to further reading and educational research, photographs of related REB and BLF documents, suggestions from BLF toolkits and ideas to try.

Continuous Professional Development is a re- occurring theme, with an emphasis on sharing ideas, reflections and experiences in community of practice meetings and professional learning communities, thereby improving the quality of leadership and learning, collaboratively.

At one PLC I recently attended in Nyagatare district, headteachers used a suggested lesson observation checklist in the companion to guide their paired PLC classroom observation and feedback.

This focussed their observations firmly on teaching and learning and they were able to feedback constructively to the teachers on best practice from the Mathematics toolkit. The Companion promotes a leadership for learning approach, generating genuine discussion in PLCs and Senior Leadership meetings in schools, leading to further learning and action research.



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English digitized toolkit for teachers of lower primary launched in Kigali

The Minister of state for primary and secondary education Dr Isaac Munyakazi and the British High Commissioner to Rwanda H.E Jo Lomas launched the digitized tool-kits that have been uploaded to REB’s e-learning platform.

The toolkit are self-study resources developed by Building Learning Foundations and Rwanda Education Board that support teachers of lower primary to improve their teaching practice in English and Mathematics. The tool-kits digitization programme will give access to all teachers of English interested in self-study to improve their teaching practice in English.

The Building Learning Foundations programme is improving the quality of teaching of English and Mathematics at lower primary level (P1 to P3) by developing teachers’ self-directed learning skills as well as providing support and resources to enable teachers to participate in continuing professional development at school level.

BLF has provided self- and peer- learning tool-kits to all 30,000 teachers of English and Mathematics of P1 to P3 pupils. The tool-kits consist of printed books with supporting audio-visual materials on removable media (SD cards for use on teachers’ own mobilez phones) for each teacher, and two smartphones for each school so that teachers can watch the instructional BLF videos and film their own classes for self-reflection and peer discussion.

The digitized toolkit is uploaded onto Rwanda Education Board’s e-learning portal for access to all teachers who want to improve their English teaching skills.

Minister of State listens to audio version of the BLF English toolkit for teachers at GS Camp Kanombe, as British High Commissioner and DG REB look on



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A spotlight on how Communities of practice improve teaching practice

By Bugingo Kamana Dieudonne MEL manager (BLF)

It has been two years since the Building Learning Foundations Programme began its interventions in Rwanda. The programme has been working in all 2,517 public and government aided primary schools in Rwanda to support teachers of English and Mathematics in lower primary grades to improve their teaching practice, thereby improving learning outcomes of over three million children.

I can recall the very first encounter with teachers of mathematics and English at P1-P3 in Gicumbi district. Most were very optimistic that the programme would help them improve their English proficiency and Mathematics teaching techniques. To some it would be their first encounter to a self-study approach, a different technique from the traditional way of capacity building they had been used to.

Since the start of its implementation, BLF monitors the impact of our work through collecting data relating to teaching and learning. We have seen early signs that if teachers are continually supported, improved learning outcomes could be achieved.

A timetable of CoP meetings created by English and Mathematics teachers at GS Kibuye

With around 200 BLF programme field staff we are visiting schools atleast once a month to monitor and provide on school based coaching and mentoring to teachers and head teachers.

BLF’s approach to monitoring, evaluation and learning is in line with the Rwanda’s ESSP(2018-2023), which recognizes the need for rigorous monitoring through

national and systematic assessment of management, leadership, teaching and learning achievement in English and Mathematics.

We have learnt that more schools are holding Community of Practice meetings for teachers of Mathematics and English as part of wider CPD programmes. Schools have shown commitment to planning and holding CoPs with or without guidance of the BLF field staff. Some are conducting them atleast twice a month. BLF’s monitoring activities do not only focus on existence of CoPs in schools, but also focus on the quality of these meetings.

Monitoring evidence shows us that CoPs are positively impacting teaching practice. Teachers share minutes of their monthly CoP meetings, what they have learnt, challenges encountered and how to resolve them and also share some of the new teaching techniques from the BLF toolkits like use of their own locally made mathematics materials.



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Teachers indicate that they have learnt and apply new pedagogical techniques and approaches such as teaching inclusively, planning for learning, assessment for learning, managing lessons and pupils and improved their English proficiency.

My recent visit to GS Kibuye in Karongi district, Western Rwanda, showed that teachers at their own pace set the agenda of the monthly CoPs for a whole term and are facilitated by the head teacher or Director of studies. Some teachers reported that due to the fact that they conduct CoPs in English, this has improved their level of confidence in speaking English in class and around the school.“At my school we have taken a decision to speak English in the compound, in class and in every meeting we hold with teachers. This has helped the teachers and myself to improve our confidenct and English speaking skills”, says Head teacher of GS Saint Paul Muko Mukarugira Georgine who is a BLF National Leader of learning supporting other schools in her district.

We have learnt that head teachers are more engaged in ensuring that CoPs are happening in schools through comprehensive intervention under BLF’s support to the leadership for learning and system leadership.

A P2 Mathematic teacher at GS Congo Nil said, “BLF introduced me to new techniques of teaching mathematics. I have turned rubbish into teaching materials, and my learners now enjoy my lessons more than ever”.

Monitoring activities like these give us findings that inform our intervention to take actions in collaboration with school leaders and sector education officials. There is need for continuous guidance from the school leaders in order for CoPs to reach the intended goal of improving learning outcomes for Rwandan children in lower primary grades in English and Mathematics.

English Teacher at GS Kivumu, Kamonyi District



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Are Communities of Practice meetings addressing Professional Development needs of teachers?

There is a global consensus that universal school enrolment is necessary, but not sufficient, for children to learn. Despite being enrolled in formal education, in several countries across the world, the quality of education is often unsatisfactory. One factor in the variability of education quality is the quality of teaching provided, meaning that teacher development is an area where school improvement can be prompted.

There is a growing acceptance in the literature on teacher professional development (PD) that when teachers learn together and work collegially in communities of practice (CoP), their PD becomes more effective, impactful and sustainable. However, research in this area traditionally focuses on schools and educators in high income

contexts and has little to say about the effectiveness of using CoPs to improve teaching and learning in lower income contexts.

Education Development Trust (Ed-DevTrust) aims to fill this gap by un-dertaking research into the impact of CoPs in two of its own programmes: the DFID-funded programmes in Rwanda (Building Learning Foundations, BLF) and Kenya (Girls’ Education Challenge, GEC).

The research programme started in May 2019 along with the baseline study in Rwanda. Early qualitative findings from the baseline study demonstrate how CoPs are powerfully transforming education across intervention schools in Rwanda through improved teaching.

There is concurrence among teachers that participation in CoPs has contributed to addressing their professional development needs. On pedagogy, teachers stated that previously they struggled in interpretation of some instructions. However, this is no longer the case as CoPs provide platform for collaborative learning;

“CoPs help me in my profession because there are some teaching instructions we were not aware of or the ones we knew but we did not know how to use so through these discussions in the CoP meetings, we are able to share different ideas. Our colleagues are able to help us out”, (teacher, Rutsiro district)… “There is a lot the CoPs are bringing to my development as a teacher, we used to work individually

By Donvan AmenyaResearch and Insight officer (EdDevTrust Kenya)



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Teachers of Maths at Remera Catholique attend a CoP to discuss the BLF toolkit content

as teachers but now we are working as a group. In addition, initially teaching in the classrooms were teacher centered but now we have learnt that the activities should involve students”, (teacher Clotilde, Rulindo district).

Due to continuous engagement among members, CoPs have significantly contributed to narrowing skill gaps between new entrants and experienced teachers as one of the respondents stated.

In providing a platform for sharing experiences and challenges encountered in class, there is consensus among teachers that participation in CoPs has significant positive benefits to their professional development. During CoP meetings, teachers share their reflections on what is learnt in toolkits and classroom experiences. Inputs from CoP members and lesson modelling contributes to addressing challenges teaching encountered;

“CoPs are very good when I encounter any challenge, I am able to bring this in the CoP and my colleagues help me understand better”, (teacher Nsengiyumva, Gisagara district) ….” It helps me for example if I have encountered a certain difficulty and my colleagues are able to help me, it also gives me additional knowledge and increases my experience, (teacher Nyirahabimana, Nyanza district). Contribution of CoPs to professional development of teachers was also supported by head teachers. During focus group discussions, all head teachers were unanimous on how CoPs have been beneficial to their teachers especially in improving their skills in teaching English;

Community of practice meetings help to ensure that teachers work together through activities at a suitable pace and that they have a forum to review and consolidate their learning to practice some of the techniques and language they have studied and how they can apply them in their lessons.

“In our school, teachers try to find solutions to different challenges, for example in English those who are strong help those who are weak… they try to solve different difficulties they encounter in their subjects. Via CoPs they learn by sharing experiences, teachers learn from one another different terminologies to use and different poems that exist in English so these CoPs help teachers to learn from each another”, (head teacher, Kamonyi district).



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Self-study is an ingredient to proper learning

By Faith MbabaziCommunications manager (BLF)

Focused self-study and proper preparation strategies are a foundation for improved teaching and learning outcomes. As teachers study their teaching, they work to understand and improve their work as professionals, impact students’ learning, inform education and school programs and influence change in the wider education system.

My work with the Building Learning Foundations Programme has enlightened me about the importance of choosing self-study coaching as a valuable way to learn, as it involves studying without direct supervision and at your own convenient time.

BLF’s teacher development approach focuses on improving the quality of teaching of English and Mathematics at lower primary level (P1 to P3) by developing teachers’ self-directed learning skills as well as providing support and resources to enable teachers to participate in continuing professional development at school level.

The programme has provided self- and peer- learning materials to all teachers of English and Mathematics at P1 to P3. The toolkits consist of printed books with supporting audio-visual materials on removable media (SD cards for use on teachers’ own mobile phones) for each teacher, and two smartphones for each school so that teachers can watch the instructional BLF videos and film their own classes for self-reflection and peer discussion during Community of practice meetings.

The teachers I spoke to told me that they have learnt the BLF approach to self-directed learning and plan their school-based Community of Practice meetings in which they share good practice from colleagues, reflect on their learning and engage in other school-based training activities.

I recently caught up with teacher Marie Chantal Kagoyire of GS Kagina in Southern Rwanda who has been using the self-study toolkit for a year now. She said, ‘‘the toolkit has greatly improved my practice. Teachers of English in my school get together every Wednesday to study together content of the toolkit and role play to master the language and skills”

The English toolkits cover classroom language, English teaching pedagogy, and general pedagogy. The Mathematics toolkits cover early grade Mathematics subject knowledge, Mathematics teaching pedagogy, and general pedagogy. The pedagogical content of each toolkit focuses on key areas such as planning for learning, using resources, managing learning, using a range of questions, and assessment for learning.

Video material supports the toolkits by providing model lessons and short clips of techniques for teachers to reflect on, discuss with their peers, and incorporate in their teaching practice. For English, audio helps develop teachers’ language proficiency through material such as classroom dialogue and models of pronunciation.

For Mathematics, video content has been crucial in modelling the concepts introduced to teachers through the toolkits, particularly how the use of concrete materials supports pupils’ understanding.

The head teacher of GS Kagina Emile Nzeyimana said, “In the past we did not know about self-learning, but since BLF introduced the use of the self study toolkits, teachers take the initiative without the help of their colleagues and diagnose their learning needs and then come to ask for support in their weakest areas. I can testify that children at lower primary are now enjoying lessons more than ever”.

Through the Building Learning Foundations programme I have come to know that the underlying rationale of promoting self-study among educators is that they are better able to learn new techniques of teaching by controlling the flow of their experience, and when learning becomes self-directed the learner encodes information and retains it over time. I am hopeful that through the BLF programme teachers can continue to develop stronger study skills and further improve their teaching skills.

English teachers attend a CoP meeting



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I used to hate a mathematics class

Mathematics is widely known for being the subject students hate. It is common to hear the “I hate maths class” or maths is too hard” from struggling students. But what causes students to dislike this very interesting subject and what should be done to ensure students see how fun and fulfilling it can be?

Building Learning Foundations (BLF) is a programme funded by the UK Government that aims to improve learning outcomes in English and Mathematics for children in early grades in Rwanda. We set out to see how the programme is supporting girls like Keza and Stephanie, P2 students who have been struggling with poor marks in Mathematics tests.

It is a cloudy morning at GS Kivumu Primary school located in rural southern Rwanda. The dusty road that leads up to the village school is quite bumpy and we arrive soon after the classes have begun. I decide to observe a P2 class which is crowded with about 60 children in teacher Regine’s small Mathematics class. The school is one of the government of Rwanda schools supported by BLF and has about 2000 students in primary and secondary levels.

In this class children are sitting in groups of three and learning how to add and subtract. On wooden desks, each one of the students has a show me board, one resource among many provided by BLF that helps teachers assess if students understand a particular concept they are learning. I am sitting next to Keza and Stephanie who are working in small groups learning how to add and subtract using counting sticks. They are simultaneously using the colourful abacus to show their teacher how they have mastered the concept of tens and hundreds. The class is quite interactive, and children are engaging in learning tasks set by teacher Regine.

BLF provides self- and peer- learning toolkits to all teachers of English and Mathematics at P1 to P3. The toolkits consist of printed books with supporting audio-visual materials on removable media for each teacher, and two smartphones for each school so that teachers can watch the instructional BLF videos and film their own classes for self-reflection and peer discussion.

These skills acquired through BLF support help students like Stephanie and Keza to focus on problem solving instead of simply memorising how formulae work. It is the first time that students in teacher Regine’s class have seen an abacus or flash card and this has made her class full every day and has minimised the number of children, especially girls, who decide to skip the maths class.

Teachers like Regine have been supported to help children learn how to relate mathematics to the real world in order to spark their interest in this subject. Thanks to the Building Learning Foundations programme, about 3 million Rwandan children will have improved learning outcomes in Mathematics and English.

“I love the mathematics class nowadays. Last year I scored 35% in my test and my mother was not happy with me, but this term I performed better and scored 60%. I am very happy. We have some very nice materials like the abacus and geometric shapes that have helped me know how to count very well. I also love my teacher Regine she is very funny especially when she is teaching us the pictogram chart”. Keza smiles.

What I love most is the counting beads on the stick, they have very nice colours. I love colour red on the beads it is my favourite. Also I have mastered adding and subtracting because of using the abacus. I never wish to miss teacher Regine’s class,Stephanie added.



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Building inclusive practices in Rwanda’s education system

The 2018 Special Needs and Inclusive Education policy (2018/19 – 2023/4) of the government of Rwanda prioritizes the right of every child to equal education. The policy focuses on the creation of a conducive environment for all learners and educators to interact in a barrier-free and child-friendly educational environment.

This policy defines Inclusive Education as “a process of addressing all learners’ educational needs in a mainstream education setting. It is based on the principle that all learners are different, and can learn and develop differently, and therefore, the education system is expected to flexibly be adapted to fit every learner’s (child’s) needs.

In the Rwandan socio-cultural context, the concept is often interpreted as ‘Uburezi Budaheza’ or ‘non-exclusionary education’ ”. (Government of Rwanda Special Needs and Inclusive Education Policy 2018)

Building Learning Foundations focuses both on what teachers can do to support learners with special educational needs, including those with disabilities,

and also on what additional support could be provided to children with disabilities to improve their learning. The approach concentrates on how all primary teachers can identify children’s learning difficulties and support them. BLF carried out a broad assessment of

Inclusive Education Focal Teachers from Kicukiro district complete a training on inclusive education

Nshuti, BLF’s Special Needs Education Coordinator for Rulindo District, trains Focal Teachers on inclusive teaching practices

the type of difficulties and disabilities primary school children are facing and worked with Government of Rwanda and to develop an approach to sustainable learning support for pupils with disabilities in all government schools.

Central to this approach is the deployment of ten volunteer Special Needs Education Coordinators (SNECOs) in in 5 districts of Rwanda; Kicukiro, Rulindo, Ngororero, Nyaruguru and Nyagatare.

The SNECOs are amongst the first graduates of the Special Needs Education Bachelors and master’s degree course now offered by the University of Rwanda, College of Education. BLF is piloting the introduction of SNECOs in to the education system as a key ambition of the Government’s policy on special needs and inclusive education.

The SNECOs support a cluster of schools in identification, teaching, school planning and engaging parents as well as linking with local authorities and service providers.

Nshuti Jean De Dieu BLF’s Special Needs Education Coordinator for Rulindo district says that the BLF English and Mathematics toolkits include guidance to help teachers embed inclusive practices into their daily work.



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REB and DFID officials observe a class taught by a focal teacher

A key part of the work of SNECOs is to work hand in hand with Focal Teachers in school – mobilisation of focal teachers is another strategy of the Government of Rwanda. In 83 schools in five Districts, one teacher has been identified by the school as a Focal Teacher to support other teachers and the school leadership. Charles Ndayambaje a BLF Focal teacher supporting his colleagues at GS Kimisange in Kicukiro. He completed a training on how to identify children with special educational needs in his school.

Charles explained that, “I focus on identifying children with learning difficulties and take actions to meet their needs. Most teachers in my school thought that learning difficulties apply to children with physical disability, but with the training from BLF we now know that we have slow learners especially in Mathematics, or children who do not concentrate easily”

Charles notes that parents are known to be the first teacher of their children and they continue to influence their children’s learning and development during their lifetime.

“BLF brings both the parents and teachers together to discuss what should be done to support a child who has been identified to have learning difficulties and has special educational needs” he says.

Recently the Deputy Director General (DDG) of Rwanda Education Board, Tusiime Angelique, visited one of the BLF disability intervention schools in Kicukiro District. The DDG observed a P2 mathematics class and appreciated the way the teacher was able to engage all learners and achieve the lesson objective.

BLF is supporting teachers, school leaders as well as the community on

how to adapt the teaching and learning environment to the needs of the learners.Learning difficulties include children with visual and hearing impairment, slow learning, speech and communication problems, reading and writing problems, children with certain behaviour disorders, dyslexia, and many others.

I was impressed by the way the teacher knows the names of every child in class and ensures that all children participate. Inclusive teaching is REB’s priority and we thank BLF for supporting the teachers in this field, DDG Angelique said.



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BLF’s blended English course pilot for mentors

Technology is at the heart of Rwanda’s vision to spearhead social and economic transformation and become a middle-income country. Relevant, quality education for all is key and ICT in education is regarded as a strategic lever to raised standards. English is also a key priority in the current Education sector strategic plan, since both teachers and learners are still struggling a decade on from the policy switch from French to English medium.

BLF’s role in improving English is vital, as the English language levels of some teachers in Rwanda are lower than needed if they are to teach the new competence based curriculum successfully. This is a particular problem for lower-primary teachers. The BLF baseline results found that 38% of P1-P3 English teachers tested had the lowest CEFR levels (A0, A1) of spoken language proficiency. Rwanda Education Board’s school-based mentor programme is intended to support classroom teachers’ English and deliver other teacher development activities.

It is within this context that the DfID funded Building Learning Foundations (BLF) programme has piloted an innovative blended approach to English language support for state education school-based mentors.

The pilot aimed to help education stakeholders better understand the benefits and challenges of using innovative and cost-effective blended learning technology to support the development of English language proficiency in Rwanda, and enable evidence based appraisal of the potential for such an initiative to be rolled out at scale to reach educators across the country.

Participants in this blended course took the Aptis English language test at the beginning and the end of the six-month course with a total of 80% showing an increase in their overall final score of one or two levels on the Common European

Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and in terms of speaking skills specifically, 99% of the participating mentors have now reached the target B1 level proficiency or higher.

The BLF pilot trialled two delivery models for the online courses. In both models, participants engaged with online, interactive, self-access materials and attended biweekly speaking classes delivered over the Zoom online platform.

The individual study component used Learn English Pathways (LEP), and Edmodo forum groups were used for extra support and for communication and collaboration between participants. In model 1 participants met in the same physical location for their Zoom classes. Two Teacher Training Centres (TTCs) were equipped with TVs and speaker/microphone systems to enable interaction between participants and online English trainer. This recreated a traditional classroom experience with the only difference being that the trainer

appeared on a screen instead of being present in the room.

In model 2, participants accessed their Zoom classes individually but synchronously from whichever location they preferred. The online teacher managed the virtual class and ensured a mixture of whole-class teaching and virtual breakout rooms for participants to practice speaking in pairs or groups.

English teachers attend an English online course



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End-of-course Aptis results

Aptis was used to contrast the impact the two models had on improving English proficiency. Mentors were selected to participate in the blended course based on their initial A2 overall score, therefore the measure of

success was the percentage reaching a CEFR level of B1 or higher:

In model 1, where groups met face-to-face for their Zoom session once every 2 weeks, the percentage of Mentor Trainers reaching the minimum B1 level proficiency was 15% higher than that of those in model 2, who had to log in to Zoom individually. In terms of speaking skills specifically, by the end of the course 100% of model 1 participants had achieved at least B1 proficiency (71% B1, 29% B2).

The significant percentages of participants across all models that improved their English language proficiency enough to increase their

Aptis score by at least one CEFR level demonstrate there is potential for blended language courses to be rolled out at scale for education professionals in Rwanda. Blended language courses can offer an innovative and cost-effective means to upskill more mentors and teachers across the country, whilst also supporting the Government of Rwanda’s ambitions to develop capacity to use ICT in learning nationwide.

The success of this pilot and the lessons learned can be considered in future plans to scale up the support offered to Rwandan mentors and teachers in addition to the support that BLF already offers to lower-primary teachers and pupils nationwide.

English teachers attend an English online course

In follow-up telephone interviews within the first month of the course, the most common reason given for poor participation was lack of access to a computer or other device with internet connection. In response to this, BLF conducted a further trial whereby one group of mentors were loaned tablets and 4G Sim cards to continue with the remainder of the course.



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Rwanda Govt to distribute 4 million DFID funded textbooks in public schools

The Minister of State for Primary and Secondary education Dr Isaac Munyakazi alongside H.E Jo Lomas, British High Commissioner to Rwanda officially launched the DFID funded English and Mathematics textbooks for all public and government aided primary schools across Rwanda. About 4 million textbooks will be supplied to all schools in 30 districts of Rwanda starting from the City of Kigali.

Through the Learning for All (LFA) programme, the UK government is providing up to £62.5 million to improve learning outcomes and equitable access to primary and secondary education for boys and girls in Rwanda. This programme funds school capitation grants and textbooks for primary and secondary schools.

The textbooks were printed and will be distributed by Rwanda Education Board with funding from UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) to a tune of £6.8 million (7 billion Rwanda francs).

Dr Munyakazi challenged the teachers to invest in hard work and effective use of the resources that have been given to them.

“With DFID’s support, Rwanda has been able to procure 115 copyright for textbook titles and printed close to 4 million textbooks which are now being distributed to all public and government-aided primary schools,” he noted.

Under the programme, the government is keen to provide a textbook to every learner for every subject.

“Do not deprive the students of their right to use the books. From the parents’ perspective, these textbooks will show them what their children are learning and will learn. If a child has questions which parents cannot readily answer, they can refer to textbooks to help figure out the answer.”

Jo Lomas, British High Commissioner to Rwanda, said the books supplied will make a difference in the learners’ lives.“We applaud REB’s instructions to schools to issue the books directly into the hands of children, where they belong, and where they will help build good habits of independent study” Lomas said. “Until now, the average ratio of pupils to textbooks has been as low as six to one. Now there will be one book for every child.”

Minister of State Dr Munyakazi distributes books to students at GS Camp Kanombe



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Jacqueline Umurerwa, the Headteacher at Camp Kanombe School, said the books being distributed are of high quality and engaging, adding they will enable teachers to deliver lessons that are activity-based, language-rich and stimulating.

“We hope children will be encouraged to read these and other books outside of lessons and at home. Given that double-shifting is still common in most schools, these books will extend the time that children can spend learning beyond school hours.”

During 2019, close to 4 Million quality textbooks for English and Mathematics in P1-P6 are being distributed in all public and government aided primary schools.

The LFA programme also funds Building Learning Foundations (BLF) that aims to improve learning outcomes in English and Mathematics at lower primary grades in schools nationwide. The overarching expected outcome is improved classroom teaching and learning and more equitable access to primary and secondary education for boys and girls in Rwanda.

Vice Mayor Kicukiro District, British High Commissioner to Rwanda Jo Lomas and State Minister Dr Isaac Munyakazi launch DFID funded text books

Do not deprive the students of their right to use the books. From the parents’ perspective, these textbooks will show them what their children are learning and will learn. If a child has questions which parents cannot readily answer, they can refer to textbooks to help figure out the answer.Said Dr Munyakazi.



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In photos: Launch of English and Mathematics textbooks for primary level with funding from UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).



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International Literacy Day focuses on encouraging children to read at an early age

Minister of State Dr. Isaac MUNYAKAZI reads a story for children

Every year in September, Rwanda joins the rest of the world to celebrate the International Literacy Day. The day is marked to remind everyone the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity and human rights.

The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Culture launched the National Literacy Month on September 8th 2019 kicking off a series of activities to embrace literacy that runs until 30th September 2019. The launch was held at Nyagisenyi Stadium, Nyamagabe District, Rwanda’s Southern Province.

In attendance was the State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Munyakazi Isaac, Minister for Sports and Culture Nyirasafari Esperance and the USA Ambassodor to Rwanda Peter Vrooman.

Each week of the National Literacy Month had a message to spur children and adults to read and write. The State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Munyakazi Isaac noted that the day is an opportunity for all Rwandans to embrace the culture of reading in order to over come the

persisting literacy challenges. “I urge parents to encourage their children to read by giving them the opportunity to join reading clubs, or even reading aloud for them” he said.

The Building Learning Foundations programme (BLF) took part in the activities to mark the day. BLF showcased the English and Mathematics resources that are supporting teachers of P1-P3

State Minister, DG REB, BLF District Teaching Advisor and Permanent Secretary Mineduc look at a BLF resource with video that supports teachers

as well as resources supporting head teachers to lead their schools better.

Referring to the theme of ILD this year stating that “Reading and writing in different languages is a source of knowledge”, Rwanda’s Minister of Sports and Culture, Nyirasafari Esperance said “reading and writing should be part of our culture as Rwandans. You get knowledge through reading and you share it by writing.”

During the launch of National Literacy Week, officials read stories in Kiswahili, French, English and Kinyarwanda to highlight the importance of learning more than one language.

Reading and writing are some of the pillars of SDGs. Rwanda wants to build a knowledge based economy, that’s why we value literacy. We put much effort in schools but we need it to become a culture in families.



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P. O Box 4251 Kigali, Rwanda | Phone: +250788318509Email: [email protected]

Website: www.buildinglearningfoundations.rw

The Building Learning Foundations Programme is implemented by a consortium of three of the United Kingdom’s premier not for-profit leaders in improving education globally: Education Development Trust(coordinating), British Council, and VSO

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