Rwanda: Ministry of Education clarifies rumors about imminent increase in school fees

The Ministry of Education in Rwanda has dismissed widespread rumors claiming that parents will soon be required to pay increased school fees. The ministry emphasized that these claims are baseless and unfounded, confirming that there is no plan to raise the financial contribution of parents toward the school feeding program in nursery, primary, or secondary schools.

This clarification was made by the Minister of Education, Joseph Nsengimana, during a consultative meeting on the implementation of the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2024/25–2028/29. The Minister was responding to a question from a concerned citizen who urged the Ministry to address growing speculation about a possible rise in education costs.

Minister Nsengimana firmly stated: "I want to address what the caller mentioned regarding the rumors of increasing school fees or the parents’ contribution to the school feeding program. These are just rumors; there is no such plan. I don’t even know where this is coming from. I understand some YouTube channels have been pushing this narrative, but let me be clear: the government has no intention of increasing school fees or asking parents to pay more for school feeding."

He went on to note that findings from a recent assessment by the Ministry show that many parents still fail to contribute to the school feeding program, which negatively impacts students’ learning and well-being.

He added: "Frankly speaking, even under the current arrangement, parent participation in school feeding is still very low. We encourage parents to take this matter seriously and collaborate with schools so that all children can benefit from school meals, which in turn helps improve their academic performance."

The Minister’s remarks come amid circulating videos and posts on social media especially YouTube suggesting that parents might soon face higher education costs. The Ministry reiterated that these are groundless claims likely aimed at misleading the public.

Minister Nsengimana concluded by urging parents to continue supporting the school feeding program, highlighting its importance as a cornerstone for improving education quality and keeping children in school.