4,183 Students Begin New Five-Year Teacher Training Programme in Rwanda.

The programme was introduced in September 2026 at the start of the 2026/2027 academic year as part of efforts to improve the quality of education and strengthen teachers’ professional skills. 

The changes are intended to give primary school teacher trainees more comprehensive preparation before entering the profession.

The new programme replaces the previous three-year system, which was considered insufficient to give students enough time to develop teaching skills, learn classroom management, understand child development and gain practical experience in schools.

When the programme was announced, Minister of Education Joseph Nsengimana said the government planned to upgrade the qualifications of primary school teachers over a 10-year period, eventually enabling them to attain university degrees. 

“We plan to upgrade the qualification level of primary school teachers so that, in the future, teachers will have qualifications up to university degree level, or a bachelor's degree. We will do this in two phases. Those with A2 qualifications will be upgraded to A1, while those with secondary school diplomas will also be taken to A1. In the second phase, those with A1 qualifications will move to A0. We will implement this over 10 years,” he said. 

Nsengimana added that students who had enrolled in teacher training colleges but were unhappy with the new programme would be allowed to choose whether to continue with it or withdraw.

The qualification upgrade is also expected to bring Rwanda's teacher training system in line with regional and international standards, where a university degree is increasingly required for entry into the teaching profession. 

Teachers already working in schools will also be supported through arrangements designed to help them upgrade their qualifications and skills.