A first batch of 160 Zimbabwean teachers who successfully applied and passed job examinations to teach in Rwanda are expected to arrive in the country this week.
The Zimbabwean media reported that teachers will arrive in Rwanda on Wednesday evening .
The recruitment process has been underway since August 2022, conducted in collaboration between Zimbabwean and Rwandan officials.
Their arrival follows a delegation of eight officials from Rwanda led by Charles Karakye, Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Education and Director General of Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), Nelson Mbarushimana who were in Harare twice in two months, to witness the recruitment exercise, which was said to be virtual.
The successful candidates who are expected in Rwanda passed online, written and oral interviews, according to the Zimbabwe Ministry of Education.
“I have a good feeling with the opportunity given by the government,” Dr. Joseph Dzavo, one of the traveling teachers, told the Zimbabwean media.
Dr. Dzavo has been serving as a lecturer of Philosophy at Madziwa Teachers College in Mashonaland since 2010.
“I have been given a higher role, I’m going there as educational research adviser,” he added.
The development follows an agreement to exchange skilled personnel between both countries in May this year.
These successful candidates were competing for 278 job positions in local schools at the time of recruitment.
According to the Zimbabwean government, recruitment is a continuing process.
“We are recruiting competent education personnel to be employed in Rwanda on job positions under four categories: basic education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (REB), polytechnic and universities,” Karakye told the media during the recruitment.
Zimbabwe’s Public Service Ministry Secretary Simon Masanga told media in August that minimum requirements for the educators was a bachelor’s degree and post graduate qualification.
“The recruitment is being conducted under the auspices of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Zimbabwe and Rwanda on the exchange of skilled personnel between the two countries,” Masanga said then.
In the December 2021 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Rwanda had requested for Zimbabwean teachers of English, STEM- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
They are also expected to be Teacher Trainers and Technical Education teachers.