REB Weekly Timetables for the 2026/2027 Academic Year Pre-Primary, Primary and Lower Secondary Schools in Rwanda

Kigali, Rwanda The Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), under the Ministry of Education, has released the revised weekly timetables for Pre-Primary, Primary, and General & Professional Secondary Education for the 2026/2027 academic year. The timetables set out how learning time is organized from Nursery through Upper Secondary, including subject allocations, break times, co-curricular activities, and teacher Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

This article summarizes the key details of the 2026/2027 REB timetables for Pre-Primary, Primary (P1–P6), and Lower Secondary (S1–S3) levels.

Pre-Primary Timetable (2026/2027)

Pre-Primary lessons run in short blocks of 20–30 minutes, depending on the subject or activity, and teachers are guided to follow an indoor–outdoor–indoor rhythm through the day wherever possible.

Where feasible, pre-primary learners should be given lunch during their break, and in Community-Based ECD Centres, parents may be invited to join their children’s Friday Play Scheme.

Primary Timetable (P1–P6)

At Primary level, single-shift schools use afternoons for Mathematics, English, Science & Elementary Technology (SET), and SST-related activities, plus interventions for learners who need extra support. A 15-minute assembly opens each day to pass on messages and instil values.

Upper Primary (P4–P6) Daily Timetable

Schools serving deaf learners teach Rwanda Sign Language alongside Kinyarwanda, and special schools may adapt the schedule for learners with disabilities. As with Pre-Primary, CPD for teachers runs every Friday from 3:30 p.m., when students are dismissed, and 3:30–5:00 p.m. daily co-curricular time is set aside to build practical skills.

Lower Secondary Timetable (S1–S3)

For Lower Secondary (S1–S3), the day is split into a morning academic block and an afternoon block covering languages, humanities, entrepreneurship, ICT, religion and ethics, physical education, and an elective subject. Each standard period lasts 40 minutes.

Morning Session

Afternoon Session

Core Subjects and Weekly Periods (S1–S3)

Elective Subjects

Each school selects one elective subject, which receives 2 periods per week, from:

• Music, Dance and Drama
• Fine Arts and Crafts
• Home Sciences
• Farming (Agriculture and Animal Husbandry)

Co-Curricular Activities and CPD

The Lower Secondary timetable sets aside 4 periods per week for co-curricular activities to reinforce learners’ skills, and 2 periods for teachers’ Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

Overall, the S1–S3 timetable provides:

• 53 contact periods per week
• 35.3 contact hours per week
• 1,376 contact hours per year (based on 39 weeks)

A2 TTCs and Professional Education

For Professional Education tracks (A2 Teacher Training Colleges), the following notes apply for 2026/2027:

• A2 TTC enrolments is being phased out: Year 1 is no longer enrolled, and only Year 2 and Year 3 cohorts remain.
• ECLPE: Teacher Master Plan (TMP) includes pre-primary TMP and TMPs across all subjects taught in lower primary.
• Social Studies Education: TMP includes SRE and PES.
• Languages Education: TMP includes English, Kinyarwanda, French and Creative Arts.
• Science and Mathematics Education: TMP includes Mathematics and SET.

Key Points for Schools

• Rwanda Sign Language is taught alongside Kinyarwanda in schools with deaf learners, at both Primary and Secondary levels.
• Special schools may adjust the timetable to accommodate learners with disabilities.
• The 15-minute school assembly, held daily, is meant to pass on messages and instil values in students.
• CPD for teachers is scheduled every Friday from 3:30 p.m., with students dismissed at the same time.
• Co-curricular activities run from 3:30–5:00 p.m. on non-CPD days to build learners’ practical skills alongside the academic curriculum.

The 2026/2027 REB weekly timetables give Rwandan schools a clear, structured framework for organizing the school day across Pre-Primary, Primary and Lower Secondary levels  balancing core academic subjects with languages, ICT, entrepreneurship, physical education, electives, co-curricular activities, and teacher CPD. School leaders and teachers are encouraged to align their own class schedules with these official structures for the new academic year.

Source: Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), Ministry of Education, Republic of Rwanda Weekly Timetables 2026/2027 ([email protected] | Toll free: 3020 | www.reb.rw).