By Jean d’Amour Mugabo*
Claudine (not her real name) has spent nearly two decades in Rwanda’s classrooms. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 2017, paying for it herself, yet the promotion she earned remains elusive. Year after year, she passes exams, appears on waiting lists, and watches as colleagues with lower scores or connections claim the jobs she expected.
“I thought my turn would come,” Claudine said. “But people who scored less than me were posted while I waited, year after year.”
Across the country, teachers recount similar struggles: exams leaked to favoured candidates, invigilators quietly assisting friends, and private school vacancies awarded to those willing to pay or endure harassment. For many, the promise of meritocracy clashes with the reality of a system still vulnerable to bribery, nepotism, and sextortion.
Rwanda has made strides to curb these abuses. Digital platforms like the Teacher Management Information System (TMIS) and online exams have reduced opportunities for manipulation. Yet, for educators like Claudine and her peers, progress has not erased the sense of frustration, uncertainty, and injustice that shadows their careers.
From exam halls to school offices, the battle for fair employment continues, and for some teachers, it feels like the system itself is testing them harder than any classroom ever could.
Waiting Lists Anomalies, Unfair Postings
Teachers interviewed for this story say irregularities in recruitment waiting lists have left many confused and discouraged, with some candidates reportedly posted to jobs while their names remain on the lists.
Claudine, a primary school teacher in Nyaruguru District, has tried yearly examinations with both the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) and Rwanda TVET Board (RTB), hoping to advance to secondary teaching positions.
“I faced my worst disappointment last year (2024),” she said. “I got on three waiting lists, 75%, 76%, and 78%; one with TVET and two with general education in Economics and Entrepreneurship. I really thought I would get a job with one of these lists.”
But some candidates with lower scores were posted before her.
“Some people had already been assigned while still appearing on the waiting list. You only find out they have jobs if you are close to them,” she said. “By the end of the academic year 2024/2025, all three waiting lists expired. I was so discouraged that I couldn’t apply again.”
She knows of at least two candidates who scored lower but were posted, yet she declined to name them, citing concern for their safety and privacy.
Claudine recalls a prior incident where she briefly received a secondary school posting outside her home sector but still within her district, only to lose it after two days to a new recruit who had reportedly paid Rwf400,000 to a district education officer. Her headteacher advised her to accept her original primary school role to avoid losing even that job.
Aline (not her real name), another teacher seeking promotion after earning her bachelor’s degree, voiced similar concerns.
“I’ve been on two waiting lists, REB with 88% and RTB with 83%. Both expire in August 2026, yet some posts we competed for are being re-advertised. I don’t understand how the same posts are re-opened while we are still on the lists,” she said.
For many, repeated setbacks have prompted a career shift to farming or small businesses after facing what they describe as malpractice in the recruitment process.
Examination Leaks, Favouritism
Candidates like Claudine report that some exams are leaked or facilitated by invigilators.
“I travelled from my district for a test at the University of Rwanda and found some people discussing questions in corners before the exam. When we began, those were the same questions. Those students scored 98%, 99%, 100%,” she said.
The exam was held at the University of Rwanda as a testing centre for secondary-school teacher recruitment, not for employment at the university.
Esther (not her real name), a teacher seeking employment since 2020, described how poor internet connections and invigilator misconduct can create unfair advantages.
“At an examination centre in Bugesera District in February 2025, I saw two candidates using phones during the test. The invigilator even helped one of them by Googling answers and relaying them,” she said.
After the test, Esther confronted one of the favoured candidates, who confirmed the assistance but claimed, “Only time was not on my side.”
Candidates also report pressure to use intermediaries to secure jobs.
“One day, someone told us we needed to find a messenger to the district education officer with Rwf500,000 to secure a job. The officer would contact the national level for you,” Esther said.
She also knew a former classmate who scored below the 70% threshold but secured a teaching position the same year she failed the exam.
Private Schools, Private Perils
Across Rwanda, teachers recount years of battling an uneven system. In the public sector, exams are leaked to favoured candidates, invigilators quietly assist friends, and vacancies are sometimes awarded not on merit but connections.
Yet moving beyond government schools does not necessarily offer relief. Private institutions, while offering opportunities, present their own hazards.
Esther’s search for a teaching position exposed her to bribery and sexual harassment, highlighting risks that some candidates face in the private sector.
A few years ago, she almost secured a job at a private school in Bugesera District.
“We were three candidates at the interview, but the third person never showed up. I outperformed the second candidate, yet I was told immediately after that I didn’t get the job,” Esther said.
Later, she said, the school accountant called to explain that the headteacher had accepted money from the absent candidate and virtually awarded them the position.
Her ordeal escalated in 2024 when she narrowly escaped an attempted sexual assault by a school investor in Ruhango District.
After getting at school to submit her application, she said the school owner asked her to meet him at a hotel.
“When I got there, I handed over my application. He said, ‘I have a job for you, whether as a teacher or school accountant, or even looking after my other businesses.’ Then he leaned closer and said, ‘Why are you avoiding me? You’re beautiful. Come closer, give me a kiss, I’ll show you in bed, don’t worry, you’ve got a job now.’ I was four months pregnant,” she recalled.
She managed to leave when hotel staff passed by.
“He threw down my application file, but I didn’t pick it up. I ran outside and have never sought a private-school job again,” she said.
Another job seeker, Maria (not her real name), recounted the experience of a friend who resigned after repeated harassment from a private school leader. The woman declined to speak publicly, but Maria said the ordeal forced her to leave her job and has continued to affect her efforts to return to teaching.
From exam halls in public schools to the offices of private institutions, the stories converge: merit is often denied, and the path to a fair teaching career remains littered with obstacles.
Transfers in Limbo: The Struggle to Move Closer to Home
For many teachers in Rwanda, securing a transfer can take years, even when they meet official requirements.
James (not his real name), a teacher with a physical disability, eventually transferred to Gatsibo District in Eastern Province in 2025 after applying several times. He had previously worked in one of the districts in Southern Province.
“I tried twice without success. I was only transferred on my third attempt,” he said.
James had already fulfilled the main criteria. He had spent ten years at the same school and scored 80 percent on his performance evaluation, well above the 70 percent threshold required. Yet his first two applications were rejected, even for schools that later appeared to remain vacant.
“Later I learned that the two schools I had applied for were still empty,” he said.
Among educators, he said, there is a widespread belief that transfers often depend on whether school leaders are willing to release a teacher.
His request was eventually approved only after he attached a medical report explaining his disability. However, when he applied for a vacancy at a secondary school in one sector, within walking distance of his home, he encountered unexpected hurdles.
Although the position was listed on the TMIS, he said a school official questioned whether his disability was genuine. Shortly afterward, he was informed that the vacancy was no longer available. He was later assigned to another secondary school in a different sector, far from his home.
“I now visit my family only on weekends. A round trip costs about Rwf6,000,” he said.
Another teacher, Paul (not his real name), said he spent nearly a decade trying to transfer between sectors within Gatsibo before finally succeeding in late 2025.
At one point he confirmed a vacancy near his family home, only to discover it had never been posted in the TMIS.
“I complained to the district and was redirected to REB. The officer dismissed me from the compound, telling me to wait for the vacancy to appear in the system,” he said.
Even after patiently monitoring TMIS, Paul learned the position had been filled without the proper posting.
In another instance, he sought a “permutation” or a mutual exchange with another teacher, but the request was rejected by a district official.
Relief came only later when local education authorities arranged a transfer that freed his position for another teacher.
Paul believes connections or bribery may have influenced the placement of the teacher who replaced him.
Experts Warn: Bribery, Sextortion Still Linger
Education governance observers say irregularities in teacher recruitment and transfers have declined in recent years, thanks to digital reforms such as the TMIS and online examinations. Before 2022, these processes were largely managed at the district level, leaving room for manipulation.
“Corruption remains in the education sector, but it has really reduced, as it has in other areas. Sextortion still affects especially female teachers and administrative staff in primary and secondary schools,” said Albert Rwego Kavatiri, Programme Manager at Transparency International Rwanda and Regional Education Expert under the Inclusive Service Delivery in Africa (ISDA) project.
ISDA, a TI initiative, operates in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe, promoting transparent public services in education and health sectors since 2022.
Rwego urged private schools, which do not use government recruitment systems, to adopt ICT-based platforms through the Rwanda Private Schools Association. Such reforms, he said, could enhance transparency and education quality. He also called on the public to act with integrity, refusing bribes and reporting corruption whenever solicited.
Rwanda’s anti-corruption efforts show measurable results. The Rwanda Bribery Index 2025 reports bribery likelihood in secondary and primary schools at 1.08% and 0.20%, down from 4.20% and 5% in 2024. Internationally, the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index scores Rwanda at 58 out of 100, up from 57 in 2024, ranking 41st globally and the best in East Africa.
MINEDUC, REB Silence Speaks Volumes
Attempts to obtain comment from Rwanda’s education authorities were largely unsuccessful. While REB redirected inquiries to the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), the ministry declined interviews and did not respond to written questions.
In an email, Jean Claude Hashakineza, the ministry’s spokesperson, replied:
“Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in discussing issues related to the recruitment and transfer of teachers. At this time, we will not be able to accommodate the interview request. Should an appropriate opportunity arise in the future to engage on this topic, we will be glad to reach out. Thank you for your understanding.”
Official data shows transfers remain tightly controlled. In the 2024/2025 academic year, REB received 2,235 transfer requests. Of these, 1,226 met eligibility requirements, but only 751 were approved. Authorities argue such limits help maintain stability in schools.
Speaking during a national dialogue with teachers in July 2025, Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana acknowledged the desire of many teachers to reunite with families but cautioned that frequent relocations could disrupt learning.
“We have to balance teacher welfare with the need for stability in schools,” he said, noting staffing decisions are guided by district-level needs.
However, disputes over transfers have also surfaced in some districts.
In 2023, two teachers in Nyaruguru District complained that they had been transferred to another school without requesting relocation, despite other colleagues waiting years for approval of their own transfer applications. One of the teachers said she discovered her name on a list of teachers who had allegedly applied for transfers even though she had not submitted such a request.
The case highlighted frustrations within the system, where some teachers struggle to obtain transfers closer to their families while others are reassigned against their wishes. In the same school, one teacher reported having applied for relocation for three years without receiving a response, illustrating the uneven and often opaque process teachers navigate when seeking transfers.
Scandals Past and Present: Exposing Fault Lines
Despite reforms aimed at improving transparency, past and recent controversies reveal persistent weaknesses in how Rwanda manages teacher recruitment and oversight. From manipulated exam results to improperly verified qualifications, these incidents have exposed fault lines that reforms alone have yet to fully close.
In 2021, hundreds of teacher candidates petitioned Parliament, alleging serious irregularities in a nationwide recruitment exercise. Complainants argued that the process lacked transparency, unfairly eliminating qualified applicants while favouring others with lower academic scores. Some reported being rejected despite scoring above 70 marks, while candidates with scores as low as 55 were reportedly selected.
The petition also accused authorities of shortlisting individuals who had yet to complete their university studies, manipulating academic grades, and altering qualification records on recruitment lists. The scandal unfolded amid broader investigations into recruitment malpractice, leading to the suspension of senior officials at REB and probes into suspected bribery and result manipulation.
Oversight reports have since uncovered irregularities within the existing teaching workforce.
Inspections presented to Parliament found hundreds of teachers working without proper personnel files, raising questions about how they were recruited and whether their academic and employment documents had been verified. Another report highlighted that more than 1,500 teachers lacked proper employment documentation, including contracts and academic records, fuelling concerns about accountability in the sector.
These cases prompted calls for stronger oversight and reforms. In response, authorities have increasingly relied on digital systems such as the TMIS to centralise recruitment, transfers, and personnel records, aiming to reduce human interference and limit corruption risks.
Data from the Ministry of Education’s Statistical Yearbook 2023/2024 shows continued growth in the teaching workforce. The total number of teachers reached 123,818, an increase of 3,167 from the previous year, with growth across all education levels except adult literacy, which lost 124 instructors.
Female teachers dominate pre-primary (83.0%) and primary schools (56.7%), while male teachers lead in secondary education (65.0%), technical education (69.4%), and higher education (78.8%).
Administrative staff grew by 868, reaching 18,255, with men holding the majority of positions across all levels.
During the 2024/2025 academic year alone, 7,277 new teachers were recruited and deployed nationwide.
For candidates like Claudine, Aline, Esther and others caught in the system’s blind spots, however, the recruitment and deployment process remains a source of frustration. Years of applications, exams, and waiting lists have left some educators wondering whether merit still matters.
“We studied to become teachers and serve our country,” Esther said. “But sometimes it feels like the system is no longer about merit.”
*Culled from April Edition of PAV Magazine. Some names in this story have been changed to protect sources from possible retribution.
