The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Tunoze Gusoma (Schools and Systems) Activity supports the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) in ensuring that the Kinyarwanda literacy environment for all pre-primary and lower primary schools and classrooms is high-quality, inclusive, and utilizes best practices in teaching and learning foundational literacy skills. 

This activity will ensure that more children meet Kinyarwanda literacy benchmarks by bridging education system resource and performance gaps and transforming classrooms to reflect research-based instruction and assessment.

The Learning Systems Institute (LSI) at Florida State University, in conjunction with FHI 360, Save the Children and the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), have been working together since 2021 to enhance the pre-primary education system to develop, promote and improve students' emergent language and literacy skills, as well as strengthen the lower primary education system, school environment and classroom instruction to enhance students' literacy outcomes.

In December of 2023, the team finished piloting a new model for School Attachment (SA) at Teacher Training College (TTC), Bicumbi, TTC Mbuga, and TTC Mururu. This pilot aimed to strengthen the capacity of student teachers (STs) to transition into full-time teaching, deliver a Competence-Based Curriculum and perform effectively in the classroom.

The work has continued in 2024. In January, the pre-service team engaged 32 tutors from all 16 TTCs, one REB staff, two NESA staff and one MINEDUC staff in a pedagogical training focused on pre-primary literacy education. The training was led by LSI's Dr. Marion Fesmire and Dr. Ana H. Marty, who conducted the activity to build the capacity of tutors of the pre-primary (ECE) literacy teaching methods so that they can make their lessons more practical by using evidence-based practices for emergent literacy instruction.

Tunoze Gusoma held a Certificate Awarding Ceremony for 42 TTC tutors who participated in the Foundational Literacy Professional Development Course offered by Florida State University. The ceremony was held in February in Kigali. A Certificate of Completion with Distinction was awarded to 34 tutors who attended all professional development sessions and completed all course assignments, achieving a score of 80 points or higher.

Among other recent accomplishments, 48 teacher guides will be procured for the TTCs. During the current quarter, samples were printed and approved, and procurement is being processed for the entire order. Data analysis of a program survey conducted at three TTCs to identify supports needed for implementing the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program at the TTCs to prepare Early Childhood and Lower Primary Education pre-service students to teach in ECE classrooms is underway. A Literacy Leadership Training for Decentralized District Coordinators and Sector Education Inspectors associated with all 16 TTCs was held in January. 

"We continue to support the Ministry of Education and the Rwanda Education Board to improve the higher education system for training pre-primary and lower primary teachers," said Dr. Adrienne Barnes-Story. "2024 has started quite successfully, as we were able to celebrate the accomplishments of TTC tutors from across the country and share the findings from the School Attachment Framework pilot program. We look forward to continued success this year."

For 55 years, LSI has delivered systems that measurably improve the learning and performance of organizations and individuals in Florida and globally. Our experts' advanced research provides state-of-the-art methods and a clear path for implementation. To learn more about the STEP Activity or LSI, please visit LSI.FSU.edu for information.