Education

The educational system in both countries is very similar, except for little differences due to the financial capacity of each country. As Canada is a developed country, its education budget is much higher than a developing country like Rwanda. However, the basic principle is the same as every citizen has the right to be educated.

The similarities in these education systems are:

• Generally divided into primary education followed by secondary education and post-secondary.
• Primary school is free, but there are private school options.
• Officially the school starts from September until the end of June.
• The age to start primary school is 6 years old.
• Length of study is 6 years of primary and 6 years of secondary school, except in Quebec where the secondary school is 5 years.
• There are private schools in primary, secondary and university levels.

The differences are:

• There is no kindergarten in public schools, only in private schools in Rwanda.
• The secondary school is not free in Rwanda, the fees depend on the school, if it is public, religious or private, but in Canada it is free.
• In Rwanda, there are no student loans for high school and university, except for some students who have had the grades A, B and C in their final national exam after their secondary school.

The development and future of the country is based on the success of education, that's why governments put a lot of money in education. The problem is that when parents do not have enough financial means to pay the studies of their children, even if their children are qualified to go to universities, it decreases the number of students in universities. Governments should give a chance for everyone, either poor or rich.