Historical Background to Primary School Leadership from Colonial Times Until 1994

Abstract

The Rwandan education system owes its origin to the arrival of European missionaries in the country at the beginning of the twentieth century. Since the establishment of the first school in 1900, it has undergone many changes. These were initiated by different political regimes that have been in power. Each regime attempted to implement its own ideology and strategies to address perceived education issues. Hence, a change in political regime often entailed a change in the rules and regulations governing the provision of education. This, in turn, brought about changes to schooling policies and practices. These, however, should not be overstated, since there were also important continuities in education policy and practice throughout the colonial period.