Thirty Rwandan secondary school students have earned a fully funded study trip to the United Kingdom after emerging as the top performers in a national English-language competition designed to strengthen public speaking and communication skills.
The students, selected from 120 national finalists, will spend two weeks in the UK receiving English-language training. They have also been awarded school scholarships covering one academic year.
The awards were presented on Sunday during the finals of The Orator English Competition, which challenges students to speak confidently in English, write effectively and present their ideas before an audience.
Education Minister Joseph Nsengimana said the initiative is intended to improve students’ command of English, the language of instruction in Rwanda’s schools, and ultimately raise academic performance.
“Students who master English are better able to understand other subjects taught in the language, including mathematics and science,” he said, adding that the winners would inspire other learners to improve their language skills.
The competition crowned 15 winners from the Ordinary Level and 15 from the Advanced Level of secondary education.
Overall winner Mutara Anabella of Lycée Notre-Dame de Cîteaux said the recognition had strengthened her confidence and encouraged her to continue learning.
“Learning a language never ends,” she said.
Youth and Arts Development Minister Abdallah Utumatwishima urged the students to make the most of the opportunity, saying language proficiency increasingly determines access to education, employment and entrepreneurship in a global economy.
The Ministry of Education said the competition will become an annual event involving public and government-aided schools across the country.
The programme comes as recent national learning assessments point to persistent weaknesses in English proficiency. A 2026 report by the National Examination and School Inspection Authority found that 76% of assessed students struggled to answer comprehension questions in English, while fewer than half met the national benchmark for oral reading fluency.
