Overview

National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) is a government institution established in 2020 by the presidential order No N° 121/01 of 15/10/2020 published in Official Gazette N° 32 bis of 19/10/2020. It was established under the Ministry of Education, to be at the center by monitoring the implementation of Norms and Standards through school inspections and also administrate the comprehensive assessments from level one (1) to level (5) in TSS and Basic Education in line with Competence Based Curriculum / Training

Email:
info@nesa.gov.rw

Twitter:
@NESA_Rwanda

Address:
KG17 Ave, Kigali

MISSION

Mission: The primary of NESA is to ensure quality of education in basic education and Technical Secondary School (TSS) from level one (1) to five (5) and to regulate the comprehensive assessments of students and national examinations.

Responsibilities:

NESA has the following main responsibilities:

  1. To set standards for accreditation of private basic education schools and TSS from level one (1) to five (5);
  2. To monitor the implementation of norms and standards in public, Government subsidized and private basic education and TSSs from level one (1) to five (5);
  3. To ensure the quality of education in public, Government subsidized and private basic education and TSSs from level one (1) to five (5);
  4. To prepare, conduct and mark national examinations;
  5.  To publish national examinations results;
  6. To orient students of primary and ordinary level schools who passed the national examinations.

Powers:

NESA has the powers to:

  1.  award certificate to students who passed national examinations for basic education and level five (5) of TSS;
  2. grant accreditation to a private basic education school or a TSS of level one (1) to five (5);
  3. authorize a workplace to offer TSS trainings and certificate not more than level five (5);
  4. suspend or close a school offering basic education or a TSS of level one (1) to five (5) when considered necessary;
  5. equate and provide equivalence of certificates and degrees awarded by foreign schools offering basic education and TSS levels from level one (1) to five (5).

Departments:

  1. Basic Education and TSS Examination Department
  2. Basic Education and TSS Quality Assurance Department

Director General

Dr Bernard BAHATI

The Director General

Dr Bernard BAHATI, who is currently the Director of General of NESA (National Examination and School Inspection Authority), holds a PhD in Instructional Technology obtained from the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) at Stockholm University, Sweden. His PhD research project focused on the practice of technology – enhanced instructional assessment with a concentration on formative assessment. He did his Master of Education (Educational Technology & e-Learning) at the University of the Witwatersrand – Johannesburg, South Africa. His research and academic interests fall under the general theme of "pedagogical integration of ICT(s) in teaching and learning events.

Bernard is an educationist by both training and experience. He did education throughout his entire academic journey and worked almost exclusively in the Rwandan education sector. From a primary teacher, through a University Lecturer and Director of Teaching and Learning Enhancement, all the way to a Director General, Bernard brings to NESA robust experience enabling him to confidently sail through various Rwandan education corridors.

Entrusted with leading and coordinating the establishment of NESA, Bernard welcomed this challenge because he normally likes being challenged. He envisions the newness of NESA to cut through everything done at NESA aimed to serve the people of Rwanda with fairness, transparency and Quality service

Mr. KAVUTSE Vianney Augustine

Head of the Department for Basic Education and TVET Quality Assurance

Mr. KAVUTSE Vianney Augustine is the Head of the Department for Basic Education and TVET Quality Assurance at the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA). He provides strategic leadership in the design, implementation, and oversight of national quality assurance systems for basic education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across Rwanda.

In his current role, Mr. Kavutse leads the development and implementation of quality standards, inspection frameworks, accreditation protocols, and compliance mechanisms to ensure that education and training institutions meet established national benchmarks. He oversees risk-based inspection models, institutional performance evaluations, and continuous improvement processes to strengthen governance, teaching and learning quality, infrastructure standards, and learner outcomes. His work emphasizes evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and alignment of institutional performance with national education priorities and human capital development strategies.

Before joining NESA, Mr. Kavutse served at the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) as a Skills Development Analyst and Research & Development Analyst, contributing to national policy initiatives in research, innovation, and workforce development. He also held the position of Assistant Lecturer in the Computer Engineering Department at the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (now part of the University of Rwanda – College of Science and Technology), where he conducted research and provided academic mentorship. Earlier in his career, he worked as an IT Auditor at the Rwanda Revenue Authority, strengthening information systems governance, internal control systems, and regulatory compliance.

Mr. Kavutse holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Application Technology from Central South University, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology. His professional expertise lies at the intersection of education quality assurance, institutional accreditation, digital transformation, systems governance, and performance management.

Mr. NZEYIMANA Jean Claude

The head of the Basic Education and TVET Examinations Department

Mr. NZEYIMANA Jean Claude is a devoted education professional with a wealth of experience and expertise in promoting educational excellence and development. As a highly regarded leader and educator, he has dedicated his career to advancing the quality of education in Rwanda through a series of significant roles.

Mr. NZEYIMANA embarked on his educational journey by obtaining a Professional Certificate of Secondary Education (A2) from Mbuga Teacher Training College, in 2000. He later got a bachelor’s degree in education, specializing in Chemistry, from the former National University of Rwanda, in December 2006. Subsequently, he completed his Master of Education in International Development and Cooperation, with a focus on Curriculum Development of Mathematics and Science, at Hiroshima University (Japan), in March 2014.

Mr. NZEYIMANA's professional journey has encompassed a wide array of roles within the educational sphere. His experience includes being a primary school teacher (2 years), a secondary school teacher (2 years), a Vice Principal of a secondary school (1 year), a Pedagogical Inspector for science subjects (11 years), Acting Director of Science Inspection Unit in the Ministry of Education (1 year), an education Consultant working EDT/BLF, JICA, REB & NESA (2 years) and recently served as Director of Schools Department in RwandaEQUIP (1 year).

During his tenure at the Education Development Trust, he provided technical advisory support to the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA), with a particular focus on assessment-related matters, especially in leading the teams which developed the Ministerial Instructions Governing Comprehensive Assessment, Promotion, Repetition, Dismissal and Transfer of Learners (July 2021), the Comprehensive Assessment Implementation Guidelines (November 2022), the Paper Standards for National Examinations in General Education and TTC (2021/2022 school year) and the Ministerial Instructions Governing National Examinations (July 2022).

Throughout his career, Mr. NZEYIMANA has maintained a steadfast dedication to raising educational standards, conducting inspections, providing guidance to educators, advising on policy development, and ensuring the quality and integrity of assessment processes.

Mrs. BONEZA Angelique

Division Manager of BE and TVET Quality Standards

Mrs. Angelique BONEZA, is currently the Division Manager of BE and TVET Quality Standards in NESA. She is a PhD candidate in Mathematics Education at University of Rwanda.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Project Management option from Mount Kenya University and  a Bachelor of Science with Education from  Kigali Institute of Education.

Before joing NESA, she had been working with the Ministry of Education at different Positions, as an Inspector of Education as well as Senior Professional in Monitoring and Evaluation of Research projects.

Mrs.Boneza also worked with the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda and with Local governement entinties as Statistician and formerly  a teacher of Mathematics in Seconday School.