The 2025/2026 academic year kicked off this week across Rwanda, ushering in some of the most far-reaching reforms the education sector has seen in years.
The Ministry of Education announced in July that classes in both primary and secondary schools would now officially begin at 8:00 a.m., replacing the older system where pupils often reported as early as 8:30 or 9:00 a.m.
Officials explained that the shift aims to give children enough rest while standardizing study hours nationwide. “This change ensures children are not woken up unnecessarily early, while at the same time giving every student equal access to teaching hours,” the ministry explained.
In primary schools, pupils from Primary One to Primary Three will now study in double shifts, with morning lessons running from 8:00 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. and afternoon lessons from 1:10 p.m. to 4:50 p.m.
The curriculum has been redesigned so that the limited time is dedicated to core subjects such as numeracy and literacy, with other subjects carried forward into upper grades. Education experts say this will ease overcrowding and improve classroom management.
Secondary schools adopting the double-shift system will follow the same schedule. According to the Rwanda Education Board (REB), students in this system will now study up to 3.5 hours per day, addressing previous concerns about short teaching hours.
A second sweeping change is the merging of subject combinations at upper levels. Science streams such as MCB, PCB, and PCM have been brought under one umbrella, while combinations in mathematics and economics have also been streamlined.
In addition, all students will now be required to study four languages, Kinyarwanda, English, French, and Kiswahili, ensuring graduates emerge with stronger multilingual skills.
“Previously, when students skipped mathematics or certain languages, they missed out on critical skills. With these changes, we expect learners to be better prepared for national exams and for future careers,” noted Faith Kwizera, a head teacher in Kayonza district.
The Education Ministry confirmed that Rwanda’s curriculum will continue to be reviewed every five to eight years, in line with international standards, to keep it relevant both locally and globally.
But while reforms were rolled out smoothly in classrooms, the journey back to school was less seamless for many families.
Students travelling to schools from districts such as Muhanga, Rusizi, Nyamasheke, Bugesera, Gasabo, and Burera reported long delays at Kigali Pele Stadium, the central departure point for school buses.
Some parents say they she spent more than an hour waiting for transport at Nyabugogo before finally reaching the stadium where they again waited due to the shortage of buses that made the process stressful for both parents and children.
Others reported similar frustrations with some enduring a wait of nearly four hours across different stations before they could board buses. “The waiting time is excessive. For some of us, returning home the same day becomes very difficult,” one parent explained.
As the new academic year takes shape, education authorities remain confident that the reforms will transform Rwanda’s schools into more equitable and efficient systems of learning.
