These individuals have subsequently been reassigned from their administrative positions to teaching roles.
The assessment targeted head teachers, deputy head teachers in charge of studies, and deputy head teachers responsible for discipline.
It was mandated by the Teachers' Statute and is designed to occur every three years going forward.
This particular evaluation focused on leaders who had held their positions for at least three years prior to the statute's guidelines.
Conducted at both district and national levels, it commenced in November 2024.
According to the Rwanda Education Board (REB) and the Ministry of Education, the district-level component examined key aspects of school leadership, including regular presence at the workplace, effective task management, overall professional conduct, and adherence to the five pillars of effective school governance.
These five pillars include: the leader's vision for the school, how they support teachers in their teaching, how they support students, how they manage the school's finances, and how they engage with parents.
Dr. Flora Mutezigaju, the Deputy Director General of the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), explained in a media interview that each head master scored out of 100 on these aspects.
District evaluations were sent to REB, which then administered four tests, including one on good governance principles, in written form, to test whether the leaders understood these principles. The tests also used case scenarios to assess how the leaders would respond to certain situations.
They were also evaluated on their English proficiency and the performance of their school over the last three years.
Dr. Mutezigaju said, "In some schools, instead of seeing improved student performance, we noticed a decline. Upon closer examination, many of the five pillars of good leadership were neglected. Most teachers are not supported, and students are not well taken care of."
Leaders scoring 70% or higher retain their positions
School leaders who achieved an overall score of 70% or higher in the evaluation were confirmed as having sufficient leadership capabilities and were allowed to remain in their administrative positions.
The final score combined two equally weighted components: the district-level assessment (50%) and the Rwanda Education Board's operational evaluation (50%).
Dr. Flora Mutezigaju emphasized the rigor of the process, stating that even a score of 69.9% was considered evidence of inadequate leadership competence.
She added that affected leaders are being reassigned to teaching roles, noting that most had at least six years of prior classroom experience before being promoted to leadership positions.
The evaluation encompassed 5,277 school leaders across Rwanda: 1,415 primary school head teachers, 1,664 secondary school head teachers, 1,425 deputy head teachers in charge of studies, and 773 deputy head teachers responsible for discipline.
Of the 890 leaders found to lack the required competencies, 349 (39.2%) were primary school head teachers, with the remaining 541 coming from secondary schools.
The official report indicates that 621 of these leaders will be reassigned to classroom teaching: 297 from primary schools and 324 from secondary schools. The other 164 did not qualify for immediate reassignment to teaching posts, primarily due to insufficient prior teaching experience.
These changes will take effect in the second semester of the 2025/2026 academic year.
As of December 2025, Rwanda's government and public-private partnership schools employ 3,283 head teachers, 1,903 deputy head teachers for studies, and 995 deputy head teachers for discipline.
Many of the leaders who failed scored particularly low on professional conduct, including how they treated students, teachers, and the wider school community, as well as in their management of school resources.
Dr. Mutezigaju highlighted serious issues uncovered during the process, such as frequent absenteeism, lax attitudes toward duties, and cases of mismanaging or even stealing food intended for students.
Other common shortcomings included weak English proficiency and declining student performance in national examinations over the previous three years.
Leaders reassigned to teaching will be placed on a waiting list for available classroom positions. They will continue to receive two-thirds of their previous salary for up to six months.
If no post is found within that period, their salary will be suspended while they remain on the list for a further six months. Should no teaching position become available after a total of 12 months, they will be dismissed in accordance with the Teachers' Statute.
What happens next?
REB confirmed that 500 of the 890 leaders will be directly placed into teaching roles after passing the evaluation tests, while the remaining 300 will assume temporary leadership positions, with available positions placed on the job market.
Dr. Mutezigaju stated, "We expect that by March 2026, all schools will have headmasters and teachers, as the leaders will be reassigned from teaching positions."
Those removed from leadership roles will have the option to decline teaching roles; if they choose to do so, they will be dismissed.
IGIHE
