5 faculties from throughout the nation have been recognised for his or her excellent efficiency within the 2026 Nationwide Kinyarwanda, Tradition and Heritage Competitors.
The nationwide grand finale, held at Lycee de Kigali Gymnasium on Sunday, June 20, introduced collectively successful faculties from Kigali Metropolis and the 4 provinces.
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The competitors organised by Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy, examined secondary college students' data via a wide range of language-, culture- and history-based workouts. These included Ntibavuga, Bavuga grammar workouts, riddles, questions on conventional marriage customs, Rwanda's liberation historical past, and Rwandan cultural values, amongst others.
E.S. Mubuga, representing Western Province, emerged as the general winner with 86 p.c. G.S. Remera Rukoma from Southern Province completed second with 85.5 p.c, adopted by Ecole des Sciences de Musanze from Northern Province with 84 p.c. E.S. Bumbogo, representing the Metropolis of Kigali, scored 83 p.c, whereas TTC Kabarore from the Japanese Province obtained 75 p.c.
All 5 finalist faculties obtained certificates of benefit, books and money prizes, whereas every collaborating pupil was awarded a laptop computer laptop. The finalists may even participate in academic visits to Rwanda's museums and heritage websites.
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Talking on the occasion, Amb. Robert Masozera, RCHA Director Basic, mentioned the competitors was launched to handle gaps in younger folks's Kinyarwanda proficiency and data of the nation's historical past, tradition and heritage.
He mentioned the initiative had demonstrated that college students are keen to enhance the data about their language, tradition and heritage when given the chance.
“The outcomes present that the data is there. What was lacking was a solution to awaken and nurture college students' curiosity. This competitors has revealed a robust ardour and thirst amongst younger folks to study extra about their tradition, language and heritage,” he mentioned.
Masozera famous that the initiative has inspired college students to choose a better curiosity in Kinyarwanda and cultural id at a time when some younger folks more and more combine the language with international languages or underestimate its worth.
“We would like younger folks to excel academically, study different languages and compete globally, however with out dropping contact with their roots. Language and tradition are the inspiration of id,” he mentioned.
Based on Masozera, the competitors has helped foster optimistic adjustments in faculties, with college students turning into extra aware of utilizing Kinyarwanda accurately and correcting each other via initiatives reminiscent of Ntibavuga, Bavuga.
He mentioned the programme has engaged greater than 15,000 college students, making a community of ambassadors for Kinyarwanda, tradition and heritage. Future editions, he added, will place better emphasis on coaching lecturers and increasing the programme past 20 faculties that originally participated.
Nelson Mbarushimana, Director Basic of the Rwanda Primary Schooling Board (REB), mentioned the competitors enhances efforts to make sure college students can converse, learn and write Kinyarwanda successfully whereas deepening their understanding of Rwanda's cultural values and heritage.
“Kinyarwanda carries our historical past, values and id. Studying English or different languages ought to complement, not change, it,” he mentioned.
He additionally inspired faculties to organise extra academic visits to museums and heritage websites, arguing that college students study finest when classroom classes are linked to real-life experiences.
Members mentioned the competitors broadened their understanding of Rwanda's historical past and tradition.
Arsene Ngufi, a pupil at E.S. Mubuga, mentioned the programme uncovered him to facets of Rwanda's heritage that he had not beforehand identified.
“I realized an amazing deal about our historical past and heritage, and I’ll share that data with my fellow college students,” he mentioned.
He known as for the initiative to be expanded to extra faculties and for added Kinyarwanda content material to be built-in into studying supplies.
One other participant, Rozette Umurisa from E.S. Bumbogo, mentioned the competitors strengthened her understanding of essential cultural ideas, significantly the excellence between values and heritage.
“Earlier than the competitors, I discovered it troublesome to distinguish between values and heritage, however now I perceive the distinction clearly,” she mentioned.
