There is a dearth of research on citizenship education in post-genocide countries. The present article investigates the citizenship concept informing Itorero, a non-formal citizenship education platform meant for High School Leavers (hereafter HSLs) in post-genocide Rwanda. To this end, the article engages with classical notions of citizenship such as civic republicanism, liberalism and communitarianism as well as modern ones, namely, cosmopolitanism and radical democracy, in a bid to identify the notion deemed preferable to these competing notions. It is revealed that the Itorero training relies heavily on the civic republican/communitarian concepts of citizenship. The article argues that while these concepts contain constructive elements, such as fostering courage, self-sacrifice, patriotism, connectedness, and common good concern, excessive pursuit of this citizenship model might not be helpful for post-genocide Rwanda. The civic republican/ communitarian paradigm as it is practiced in Itorero training is likely to produce uncritical and docile citizens. Perhaps paradoxically, it might also be seen to encourage fanaticism.

This chapter examines the political dynamics shaping the distribution of Rwanda’s Vision 2020 Umurenge Programme (VUP). The research finds that, first, despite selecting ‘most likely’ cases for variation within Rwanda, there is little evidence of systematic variation in state capacity and programme implementation between research sites. This suggests that the government’s stated commitment to uniform implementation across the country may have addressed past variation in the reach of the state. Second, despite relatively high levels of infrastructural power across the sites, significant challenges remain. Notably, the pressures of top-down performance assessment have tended to prioritize the productive aspects of the programme, forcing local officials to make difficult choices that undermine the VUP’s protective role. As such, the chapter highlights the importance not just of infrastructural power, but the purposes for which that power is deployed.

This piece of research contributes to the existing literature on citizenship and values education practices in post-conflict contexts. It set out to investigate ways in which high school leavers (HSLs) appreciate Itorero-a non-formal citizenship and values education platform in postgenocide Rwanda. The purpose of the study was also to establish the best predictor of the success of Itorero training according to HSLs' perceptions. The research to be reported here used a survey questionnaire and focus groups with HSLs. It is revealed that while HSLs are happy with the content, they seem to be displeased with the quality of trainers, organization and training environment. The article also shows that the factor "trainers" consistute the best predictor of the success of Itorero. This finding raises serious concerns because Itorero trainers are seen as deficient in a number of ways. The article raises the question of trainers preparation in citizenship and values education. We argue that there is a tendency to neglect this aspect and assume that everyone can contribute to citizenship and values education. We maintain that the quality of trainers is critical for optimal results in citizenship and values education.

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This study extends knowledge production about students' study skills in higher education. It is intended to unpack variations among undergraduate students' study skills based on demographic characteristics. The article uses a comparative cross-sectional design drawing on a survey questionnaire distributed among 398 students of three programs of study at the University of Rwanda (UR), National Police College (NPC). These are Professional Police Studies (PPS), Law and Computer Science (CS) with the option of Information Security. Results indicate that students' features primarily gender, age, marital status, year of study, program of study and working experience are relevant categories to study skills. These features were found to have an effect on all study skills investigated except gender which influence test preparation and test-taking only.We argue that strategies for improving study skills at all levels of higher education should take cognizance of students' demographic features.