HISTORY OF EDUCATION /BNEP
The Protestant education service began its activities in Rwanda during the colonial period, before Rwanda gained its independence with the Protestant Alliance of Ruanda-Urundi. Since 1963, the organs of the Protestant Council in Rwanda (CPR) had set up an Education Commission with a President at the head and a Secretary of this commission who was responsible for monitoring educational activities and the problems arising from them on a daily basis in order to find solutions. It is this service responsible for education within the CPR which took the name of the National Bureau of Protestant Education (BNEP).
Since the creation of the CPR, the BNEP has been directed and coordinated by the Secretary General of the CPR. It was in June 1988 that the BNEP was given a permanent staff headed by a Director responsible for monitoring and coordinating all educational activities in the schools of the Protestant churches that are members of the CPR. Currently, the activities of the BNEP are governed by the articles that make up Chapter II of Organic Law No. 20/2003 of 03/08/2003 on the organization of education. These articles recognize the partnership in education. Article 18 of this Chapter stipulates that the State recognizes parents, private individuals, associations and various communities as partners in education in compliance with the laws in force as well as the agreements signed with its partners.
BNEP MISSION
Teaching is an integral part of the general mission of the Church as recorded in various biblical texts. This mission is summarized as follows: “To make disciples of the People of God, to educate, instruct and develop them in every way so that they may become wise and understanding” (cf. Deuteronomy 4:4-6; Matthew 28:19-20; John 10:10b-20). The leitmotif of the BNEP then becomes: A wise and understanding people (Dt. 4:6b).
BNEP VISION
In 20 years, the nationals of the schools of the Protestant churches members of the CPR demonstrate:
- of an essential creative knowledge based on the fear of God ;
- of a spirit of holistic self-development;
- of active participation in the life of the church and Rwandan society in general;
- of committed, transparent and democratic leadership;
- of an opening onto the universal;
- of a self-critical spirit.
The Objectives of BNEP
The BNEP has the following main objectives: Identification of human resource needs in CPR member churches Improvement of school operations Strengthening of Christian education in schools Training of competent personnel at all levels of education Support and promotion of craft training, especially for out-of-school youth Development, implementation and monitoring of the education policy of Protestant churches.
From these main objectives, the BNEP, during these next 20 years, will be guided in its educational work by the following objectives:
- Contribute to the integral education of the Rwandan people (on the moral, spiritual, intellectual, physical and professional levels);
- Contribute to the development of abundant, competent human resources, fully dedicated to the construction of the country and the Church;
- Contribute to the promotion of Christian values and positive values of national and universal culture;
- Contribute to the education of women;
- To train workers and leaders of Protestant churches;
- Promoting the quality of education at all levels: preschool education, primary education, vocational education, secondary education, higher education, special education;
- Strengthening functional literacy;
- Strengthen and promote partnership and collaboration with the State, parents and national and foreign institutions and organizations involved in the education sector;
- To raise awareness among the faithful of Protestant churches about the creation of associations for the promotion of private education, particularly in the country’s capital;
- Create ecumenical institutions of higher education.
