NESA IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT PROMOTION AND REPETITION

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES FOR STUDENT PROMOTION AND REPETITION

1. Background
   In February 2020, the Ministry of Education issued the Ministerial Instructions 001/MINEDUC/2020,
   outlining criteria for student promotion, repetition, dismissal, and transfer based on academic merit. The 2020
   instructions were revised in July 2021 and clarified assessment processes and promotion. Both instructions
   specify that decisions regarding repetition and promotion must be based on academic merit.
   The purpose of these guidelines is to specify how academic merit, as determined by the grading system
   described in the Ministerial Instructions No
   001/MINEDUC/2022 of 26/07/2022 Governing National
   Examinations, must guide promotion and repetition decisions made by the school deliberation committee.
2. Promotion and Repetition Guidelines
   a. The promotion and repetition decisions are based on the grading system.
   b. Students scoring 50% and above (grades A to D) are automatically promoted to the next grade or
   level.
   c. Students scoring between 40% and 49% (grade E) may be promoted to the next grade, subject to the
   satisfaction of the school deliberation committee or recommended for remedial learning.
   d. Students scoring below 40% (grades S and F) are recommended for holiday remedial learning
   (holiday remedial learning for lower primary learners will begin in August 2024).
   Note: In professional and technical programs, a student must score at least 70% in practical
   assessments to advance (to be promoted) to the next grade or level.
3. Decisions on Promotion and Repetition Following the Holiday Remedial Learning Program
   a. All lower primary learners with grades “S and F” (39% and below) are recommended to attend a
   remedial learning program during the holiday.
   b. Upon completion of the remedial learning program, an assessment will be administered to evaluate
   learners’ performance.
   c. The decisions on promotion and repetition after the holiday remedial learning program will be made
   by the school deliberation committee based on the provisions in sections 2.b and 2.c above.
4. When a learner repeats a grade, the deliberation committee must provide justifications for the repetition
   and devise strategies to address the learner’s learning challenges in the upcoming school year.
5. Students with intellectual challenges should be assessed based on their Individual Education Plan (IEP).
   If they meet their IEP goals, they should be promoted to the next grade or level.
   Done at Kigali, on 27/06/2024
   Dr BAHATI Bernard