January 2008: Bursary Scheme continued

Chapter 5: Selection criteria: It has proven incredibly difficult to design Objective Poverty Selection Criteria which do not play into the hands of ethnic divide but positively identify “worse off” families.

Recent events in Kenya are certainly an added warning on how volatile these societies can be.

Therefore, a temporary selection method, whereby, uninformed of the agenda, the entire parents’ committee, head teacher, all teachers, church minister and Rwandan Coordinator meet in a “locked” room and don't leave until they choose 2 kids sounded effective if used once only!

Chapter 6: Bursary conditions: In order to promote hard work and discourage complacency, bursaried kids will have to:

Pass with at least 65% in each secondary school year;

Pass another National Test at the end of secondary school year 3; and

Be of good discipline as assessed each term by secondary schools.

In the near future, it will probably be fair to make practical provisions on how to manage extreme-documented-cases of lengthy periods of illness etc…

Bursary Scheme: More info including monitoring.