By Maniraguha Ferdinand
Rwanda has signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Zimbabwe on the exchange of educational personnel and expertise.
The exchange will include primary and secondary school teachers and lecturers in institutions of higher and tertiary education as well as other resource personnel who may be needed by each Party such as teachers and lecturers.
It happened three months after President Paul Kagame asked Zimbabwe to offer Rwanda “good teachers”. He said it during the inaugural Rwanda-Zimbabwe Trade and Investment Conference which took place in September 2021.
During the virtual signing ceremony on 23rd December, Rwanda’s Minister of Education, Dr Uwamariya Valentine praised the move, adding that “it started with a focus on employment of Zimbabwean English and STEM teachers in Rwanda.”
“The MoU will also make it possible for Rwanda to hire Zimbabwean teachers and lecturers for teaching in associate nursing schools and the college of medicine and health sciences”, she added.
Mujawamariya said that this MoU will cement good cooperation that exists between both countries.
“Our Countries have proven the need for our countries to expand the existing cooperation in a sense of urgency. This has inspired us to follow the strategic vision of strengthening the development of our sister countries through cooperation and partnership”, she said.
Prof Paul Mavima, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare said that the MoU, is in line with Africa’s ambition of ending unemployment for its youth
“This cooperation cements Africa’s programme of shared development that will result from African Continental Free Trade Area”.
The MoU on the other hand allows the Government of Zimbabwe to explore possibilities for employing educational personnel and experts from Rwanda.
The Parties agreed to establish a Joint Technical Committee (JTC) that will see the signed MoU implemented since 2022.
