Students’ Internal Efficiency in Public Day Schools in Ngoma Sector, Huye District of Rwanda

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate students’ internal efficiency in Public Day Schools implementing Nine Year Basic Education (9YBE)[1] policy in Ngoma Sector, Huye District of Rwanda. Since the Government of Rwanda embarked on the implementation of 9YBE policy, the remarkable increase has been achieved in students’ enrolments at both primary and secondary education levels. But, little is known about the extent to which the policy has improved the indicators of internal efficiency such as duration of studies, years-input per graduate, survival and wastage rate. Through a descriptive design, data on students’ enrolments and graduation at lower secondary education for the cohort 2013/14 and 2017/18 were gathered from all 2 public day schools in Ngoma Sector by use of a statistical survey questionnaire. A reconstructed cohort analysis of 1000 students for both cohorts was computed and compared. The findings provided evidence that during the school years 2013/2017 there had been an increase in indicators students’ internal efficiency. Nevertheless, dropouts and stagnation have continued to be hindrances to high school internal efficiency at this level of education. The findings suggest further investigation of the causes of students' stagnation and dropout and workable interventions that consider the context of 9YBE policy.

[1] 9YBE is an acronym given to Nine-Year Basic Education. According to the Ministry of Education, it is defined as " all children to be able to get an education in nine years, this is made up of six years of primary education and three years of the general cycle of secondary education without paying school fees."