The Ministry of Education Rwanda, through the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA), on Monday officially released findings from the Learning Achievement in Rwandan Schools (LARS 2025) study, a nationwide assessment that offers one of the most comprehensive evaluations of learning outcomes across Rwanda’s education system.

The findings were presented during a national dissemination event held at Kigali Serena Hotel, bringing together government officials, education stakeholders, development partners, researchers and members of the media to discuss the current state of learning achievement and the next steps needed to improve education quality nationwide.

The LARS 2025 assessment was conducted to evaluate how effectively learners are mastering foundational competencies in literacy, English language, mathematics and science, while generating evidence that will guide policy reforms and strengthen decision-making within Rwanda’s education sector.

Speaking during the official release of the findings, Minister of Education Joseph Nsengimana underscored the importance of the study in helping the country understand the real status of learning in schools and shape future interventions.

“The findings from this study are extremely important because they help us understand where our education system stands and provide evidence that will guide us in strengthening policies and strategies aimed at improving learning outcomes for every child in Rwanda,” said Minister Nsengimana.

The assessment covered nearly 20,000 learners selected from schools in all 30 districts of Rwanda, focusing on learners in Primary Three, Primary Six and Senior Three.

According to the findings, Rwanda registered encouraging progress in several learning areas, particularly in English language proficiency, where learner performance improved steadily as students advanced through different education levels.

However, the report also revealed persistent challenges in foundational literacy. While many learners at lower primary level demonstrated the ability to read fluently, a significant proportion continue to struggle with reading comprehension, highlighting the gap between reading words correctly and fully understanding meaning.

In mathematics, learner performance improved progressively across grade levels, but many students still face difficulties in problem-solving, algebra, geometry and applying mathematical concepts in practical situations, areas considered critical for higher-order thinking and future STEM learning.

The study also revealed gender disparities in mathematics performance, with boys outperforming girls in several assessed competencies, particularly at primary level, pointing to the need for targeted interventions that encourage girls’ participation and confidence in science and mathematics-related subjects.

Among all subjects assessed, Science emerged as the strongest performing learning area nationally, with the majority of learners at secondary level meeting or exceeding expected competency standards.

The findings further highlighted disparities in learning outcomes across districts and provinces, with Kigali City recording some of the strongest performances nationally while several districts continue to face important learning gaps that require targeted support.

Education stakeholders attending the dissemination event noted that the findings will play a key role in strengthening classroom instruction, teacher professional development, curriculum implementation and policy interventions aimed at ensuring equitable access to quality education for all learners.

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