Can Vocational Education Help Rwanda to Recover and Reduce Poverty after the Genocide - Research Paper Example

Vocational Education in Rwanda after Genocide In knowledge-based societies as well as developing countries, investing strongly in public vocational training and education sector must be crucial. Following the immense technological, scientific, and social economic development, either envisaged or in progress, which characterizes the present era, especially in revolution and globalization of information and communication technology, vocational education and technical training must be an important aspect of all countries’ educational process (Ministry of Education 4). This is because; vocational educational training is a vital product that enriches individuals for life as it avails the necessary competences in a democratic society. Both economic and societal development s depends highly on the powers of vocational education training since it provides access to skills and routes to entry in different labor markets (2011 Education Statistics 11). Cognitively, in marginalized and under privileged societies, vocational education can be an important route towards a better life, as a result, this paper seeks to assess whether vocational education can help Rwanda recover and reduce poverty after the genocide. The country’s discourse after genocide Fruitful attempts to define vocational education or training put across that, vocationally trained education is a kind of education that moulds trainees for careers at different levels. This system of education can range from trade to design to an opportunity in nursing, engineering, and architecture among others (World Bank 95). On the sixth day of April in 1994, terrorists shot down the airplane carrying the Rwandan president and his Burundi counterpart as it resolved to land at a Kigali airport. This period’s atmosphere filled with war where a large number of people perished during the war. In 1996, after the genocide, this started experiencing series of economic recovery. As of today, reliable sources assert that the government of this nation remains at the forefront towards reducing the incumbent levels of poverty, towards improving the country’s infrastructure, privatization the government owned assets, expanding the base of exporting, as well as liberalizing trade (Usma 7). Status of vocational education A recent report released by the World Bank depict that, as of 2010, the number of vocational pupils in Rwanda summed up to 54389 while those in the secondary level totaled to 46893. According to this report, secondary vocational pupils represented the number of secondary students enrolled in vocational and technical programs. Researches highlighted that they projected that this number will increase following intense awareness regarding the essence of vocational education and training. Recently, the Middle Eastern and North African division of World Bank set forth that the level of poverty in Rwanda is at its peak as a large percentage of citizens live under a dollar a day (Usma 11). As such, they were resolving to fund and support vocational education and training since they argued it is the only instrument useful towards transforming this nation to a middle income earning state in Africa. “Secondary Education; Vocational Pupils in Rwanda." TradingEconomics.com. Web. May 4, 2012. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/rwanda/secondary-education-vocational-pupils-wb-data.html. Despite the fact that Rwanda is culturally, geographically, demographically great and diverse, it shares a number of challenges and issues that are fundamental to improving the relevance and quality of vocational education and training as a method of poverty reduction (Ministry of Education 13). It is agreeable and sensible that Rwanda has potential of using vocational education and training to attain tremendous levels of poverty reduction but to do so, it must first consider a coherent strategy for recovery and poverty reduction. In a developing country, especially those recovering from atrocities of war, vocational training, and education plays a vital role in considering the critical issues that can help a country to plan development (International Monetary Fund 74). Vocational education can heed recovery and poverty reduction Vocation education helps in controlling population growth, urbanization, reduces poverty, increases income-generating capacity, and reduces environmental degradation and pollution (Ministry of Education 17). For example, with basic knowledge of education, people are able to understand means of controlling birth rates and ways of creating employment thus reducing poverty levels. Through intensified training and education, people acquire knowledge and practices that facilitate their activities and mould the way they apt for social development and well-being. Analysts consider success of vocational education and training in any developing country as a key indicator towards the country’s development and advancement (International Monetary Fund 55). They put across that, any country evolved into a technologically advanced economy, vocational education and training played a major part since it must require skilled work force to facilitate its sustainability. This is a clear sign that, with vocational education, which goes hand in hand with vocational training, Rwanda, can achieve economic recovery and resolve to poverty reduction. In accordance to internationally recognized standards, vocational education involves an industrially led curriculum that is flexible and integrates innovations that delivers result via a multidimensional approach. Additionally, programs that involve vocational training provide both mental knowledge and practical skills that are not only essential to poverty reduction, but to economic recovery of a country (Sara, McClintock, and Human Rights Watch 78). Massive and intensified vocational training and education attracts both regional and international donor funding which facilitates learners stay during the training. An Expert meeting of UNESCO that took place in Bonn, Germany in October 2004, it presented practices and approaches that illustrated viable contributions vocational educational could provide for developing countries including Rwanda (International Monetary Fund 93). Report from this meeting goes ahead to ascertain that vocational education has the ability to educate learners for work, productive citizenship, and a sustainable future. This joint responsibility of education can put together efforts from a variety of stakeholders in the informal and formal social and economic environment. With this sense, it is agreeable that vocational training can assist Rwanda recover economically and reduce poverty as well as reconcile with the hurt feelings obtained after the genocide. Vocational education can have tremendous results on the economy of this country (African Development Bank 41). Therefore, it is true to say that, technical and vocational education as well as training must be the master key that can lead to poverty alleviation. Additionally, vocational education and training must act as the strategic plan towards improving the quality of life for all and helping achieve sustained economic development (International Monetary Fund 101). Consequently, vocational education has to orient this country’s agenda for action in order to provide continually both technical and scientific skills and abilities in relevant as well as responsive programs that can develop a new generation of young Rwandese equipped market oriented skills. Given the percentage of students of enrolling for vocation education training in Rwanda, it is agreeable that, this country is heading towards reducing vagaries of war since with knowledge; citizens will be in a position to understand the dangers of war. With vocational education, people will have skills and ability to work in respective industries that one has special knowledge in. Therefore, industries such as carpentry, mechanics, and teaching can have cognitive response towards ending economic distress in this country (Watkins and World Bank 51). However, as of today, the stand of vocational training in Rwanda is still not so strong given the fact that freedom of association is limited. As a result, it is important to reveal a new stance that has the power to transform people’s reaction towards education in this country. Summary Finally, this paper has a clearly outlined modification and identification of vocational education where its stated benefits have the potent ability of transforming Rwanda economic wise. Given the assertiveness that, this country was an economically stable country before genocide, education was a statistically crucial element of growth (Watkins and World Bank 71). With advent vocational education and training, Rwanda has a chance to formulate the principal aspects of combing sustainable development. This kind of education is better than the other types of education since it incorporates practice, skills, and on the spot thinking that are very congruent assets for encouraging economic growth and poverty reduction of a country. With respect to the information laid in this prospectus, vocational education can help Rwanda recover reduce poverty especially after the genocide. Works Cited African Development Bank. African Economic Outlook. Paris: OECD Publishing, 2006. Print. International Monetary Fund. Rwanda: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper - Annual Progress Report (EPub). London: International Monetary Fund, 2006. Print. International Monetary Fund. Rwanda: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper - Progress Report (EPub). London: International Monetary Fund, 2011. Print. Ministry of Education. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) policy in Rwanda. Web. May 4, 2012. http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Rwanda/Rwanda_technical_vocational_education_policy.pdf Sara, Rakita, McClintock, Michael, and Human Rights Watch. Rwanda, Lasting Wounds: Consequences of Genocide and War on Rwanda's Children. New York: Human Rights Watch, 2003. Print. Usma, Ayuba. The role of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in human resources development: The case of Tumba College of technology (TCT) Rwanda. Web. May 4, 2012. http://www.tct.ac.rw/images/Ayuba.pdf Watkins, Alfred and World Bank. Building Science, Technology, and Innovation Capacity in Rwanda: Developing Practical Solutions to Practical Problems. Washington, DC: World Bank Publications, 2008. Print. World Bank. Building Knowledge Economies: Advanced Strategies for Development. World Washington, DC: Bank Publications, 2007. Print. “Secondary Education; Vocational Pupils in Rwanda." TradingEconomics.com. Web. May 4, 2012. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/rwanda/secondary-education-vocational-pupils-wb-data.html. Read More