The student ended in second class lower division following one module where they obtained less than 60 per cent.
In 2019, Mukamana(not real name) applied for admission at University of Rwanda, College of Arts and Social Sciences with confidence because she had excelled in national exams.
Since she did not get any feedback, she understood that her education opportunity was shrinking and she contented herself with a short course in a technical school with culinary arts.
The following year, she made a second attempt, and luckily, she was admitted and awarded government scholarship which was wonderful, even though she was not given the option of her choice.
During the induction week, Mukamana learnt about something important, and understood that she had to take her education journey at UR even more seriously if she was to fulfill her dream to go several miles in life.
“At UR, I learned about a different grading system; first class honor, second class upper, second class lower and Pass, but the issue is how one ends in either of them,” she said.
According to the UR General Academic Regulations for Undergraduate Studies of November 2018, the First Class Honours’ degree is awarded to a candidate who has achieved at least a cumulative average mark of 80 per cent for all the modules taken, other than those in the first year of study and scored no less than 70 per cent in any module.
But the regulations specify that, this award will be considered for candidates who performed in the first attempt to all modules. In other words, a student who went to second sitting cannot in any way be honored a First Class Honours degree. UR regulations provide that after second sitting, the highest score a student can obtain is 50 per cent.
The second class honor, upper division is awarded to a candidate who has achieved a cumulative average of at least 70 per cent in all the modules taken, other than those from the first year, and who scored no less than 60 per cent in any module.
The candidate scored slightly below 60 per cent in one module, thus ending in second class lower division
The second class honor lower division is awarded to a candidate who got a cumulative average mark of at least 60 per cent in all the modules taken other than those in the first year, and who have scored not less than 50 per cent in any module.
The Honours of Pass is awarded to a candidate of a cumulative average mark of 50 per cent, but who did not secure less than 50 per cent in any module and this, like the three previous categories does not include the first year of studies.
This grading system means that on transcripts, the cumulative average may be good but on the degree, the good performance may not help a candidate much if ever they failed to achieve the minimum required in one module. They will fall in lower division.
Let’s for example have a scenario of a candidate who got a cumulative average of 70 per cent in all the modules, which would put them in the Second Class Honor Upper division.
The candidate was awarded a degree with Second Class honor, lower division because they secured slightly below 60 per cent in one module.
A case that may probably need to be looked at closely includes a candidate who only missed by a small fraction and they would have scored 80 per cent, but they fell in the second class lower division.
Above: Transcript of a student from College of Business and Economics. Cumulative Average: 79.51 per cent-award: Second Class Lower Division and below: the degree of the same student
When you check, this candidate did not secure below 60 per cent anywhere in year II and year III. This may mean that at least, the candidate would have gone in the second class Upper division if we are to quote the regulations. However, he secured less than 50 per cent in one module in year I.
For a very generous lecturer, the candidate, best performer in their class, would have even seen their performance rounded up to 80 per cent, which would upgrade the performance to First Class Honours.
“First of all, our lecturers are mean, and secondly, they do not value appeals,” said the candidate who claimed that their voice was never heard.
UR rules and regulations provide for appeal. A student who is not satisfied with their grade file their appeal to the chairperson of the school council.
The appeal will be considered by the relevant head of department and the module leader, and another knowledgeable academic member. This committee confirms or changes the grade.
To appeal, a student pays required fees, some Rwf 5000 or less, which is refundable if the claimant wins the case.
Students who spoke to KT Press said, that it is even risky to appeal because when you loose, the award is automatically lower grade.
Meanwhile, no more change can be accepted when the grades reach the college academic council, not even before ratification by university senate.
“They are denying us good opportunities,” Presumed ‘Victims’
According to students who spoke to KT Press, at UR, a candidate from undergraduate can apply and get admission to Master’s program, but, when you go in the region, and beyond, you may not secure admission from good universities.
“I was denied admission in one international university because of my degree with second class lower division, something that would have been avoided if our system was friendly,” said a graduate from UR.
A lecturer from University of Rwanda confessed that indeed, the program is problematic because “a student can secure 80 per cent in all modules, but if they slide and score say 55 per cent in just one module, the good performance elsewhere will not pull him.”
Other people who happened to follow the deliberation from the college council blame the lecturers to some extent.
“When you see how some cases are handled during the council meeting, you understand that the council has the power to uplift students who were on the verge of good performance, but looking at their decisions, you would wonder why they choose to punish students,” the source said.
“The council is almighty! They have the power upon students’ fate, and depending on their appreciation, a candidate may be uplifted or held down. What they should bear in mind is that their decision affects the rest of the life of a candidate under consideration.”
On the other side however, an Associate Professor at University of Rwanda told KT Press, that the issue should be discussed at objectively.
“Students today behave strangely; they put little efforts in what they do. They come to class with their mobile phone which they think can do everything for them, and want to earn free marks,” the professor said.
According to the UR Vice Chancellor, Dr. Didas Kayihura Muganga, “the grading system is provided by the regulator, the High Education Council(HEC) and the university should abide by it.”
On the claim that the grading comes in detriment of students, the vice chancellor refuted the allegation while saying, that while the degree does not show performance details, the transcripts show the whole education journey of a student. This means that details of performance of a candidate can always show what he/she is able to achieve.
He said that marks are earned not given and none would feel that the teachers would give them what they did not work for.
“Even when you think that someone is lacking a few fraction to something, you should consider that what they have is a cumulative average of several tests, not just one exam in consideration,” Dr. Muganga said.
He however explained that none should feel humiliated when they do not excel in all courses since “it is not strange that a student may score high in a given program and fail in another because none can pretend to master everything in academia.”
Dr. Muganga said, that in some scenario, the university finds a cohort which is below the UR required standards.
“It happens in Science programs and when lecturers note it, we put the students to a bridging program to uplift them,” he said adding that how students in lower level of education are prepared matters.
The renowned ‘Batiment Centrale’ at the UR, Huye campus which hosts several programs from the six colleges
The Vice Chancellor said, that the intakes they enroll are not always the same.
“In one intake, you may find several candidates who shine with First Class Honors while in other we may have quiet a small number of them. It is not strange, all the intakes are not the same,” he said.
“These Honors are earned on merit.”
Efforts to have an input of the regulator, the HEC did not pay off until press time. Director General Dr. Rose Mukankomeje referred us to UR.
