Written by: Sarah Paterson, Head of Education
When Rwanda transitioned to English as the language of instruction, the shift represented more than a policy change. It marked a fundamental transformation in how teaching and learning would take place across the country’s education system. For secondary school teachers, many of whom had trained and taught in other languages, the transition brought new expectations and new pressures at a time when confidence, access, and opportunity were uneven.
It was within this context that the Secondary Teachers English Language Improvement Rwanda (STELIR) programme was designed. A partnership between the British Council, the Mastercard Foundation, and the Rwanda Education Board (REB), STELIR set out to strengthen teachers’ English language proficiency while embedding inclusive, sustainable professional development within Rwanda’s education system. Rather than focusing solely on short-term language gains, STELIR was built to support teachers as professionals by recognising their lived realities, addressing systemic barriers, and creating lasting capacity that would continue beyond the programme itself
At the heart of the transition was a clear challenge: teachers were being asked to deliver subject content in English, yet many lacked the confidence, fluency, or support to do so effectively. This affected not only classroom instruction, but also teacher confidence, participation, and professional growth. STELIR was designed to respond to this by supporting teachers to strengthen their English while reinforcing pedagogy, digital skills, and inclusive classroom practice. The programme recognised that improving language proficiency alone would not be enough. Teachers needed access to training, learning materials, digital tools, and reliable connectivity, as well as time, encouragement, and practical support to engage fully.
By working closely with Rwanda Education Board from the design stage, the programme was rooted in Rwanda’s national education priorities and aligned with existing systems, ensuring relevance, ownership, and sustainability. One of STELIR’s defining features was its intentional focus on inclusion. Gender, disability, and accessibility were embedded as cross-cutting themes from the outset, shaping how the programme was delivered in practice.
For female teachers – particularly those balancing teaching with caregiving responsibilities – participation in professional development can be challenging. STELIR addressed this by providing practical accommodations, including financial support for childcare during training, extended lunch breaks to allow breastfeeding, and flexible learning pathways that allowed teachers to access training at times that best suited them. Teachers with visual impairments were supported through accessible materials, including Braille resources, ensuring they could participate fully alongside their peers. Digital inclusion was also prioritised. Teachers received tablets, connectivity, and digital skills training, removing barriers that might otherwise have excluded those in rural or under-resourced settings.
These adaptations were not add-ons. They were core to the programme’s philosophy: if professional development is to be equitable, it must be intentionally designed to reach everyone. STELIR combined face-to-face training, online learning, and school-based continuous professional development (CPD), creating a model that balanced structure with flexibility.
The programme invested heavily in capacity building within Rwanda’s education system. Trainers were drawn from the system itself, with an initial cohort of 120 expanding to around 200 over time. Sustainability was also an important factor, and the trainers received targeted support in gender-responsive and inclusive teaching ensuring that these practices were embedded for the future, and the impact of STELIR would be felt well beyond the programme’s conclusion.
At school level, STELIR worked through existing CPD structures. More than 850 school-based mentors across 14 districts were trained to deliver CPD, meaning that benefits extended not only to STELIR participants, but to teachers across entire schools. In total, around 1,000 trainers and mentors were equipped with inclusive teaching approaches that continue to shape classroom practice. This emphasis on working through national systems – rather than alongside them – has been central to STELIR’s sustainability.
For many teachers, the most immediate change was confidence. Teachers reported increased fluency in spoken English, greater consistency in using English in the classroom, and stronger subject knowledge. Improved digital skills emerged as a valuable by-product, as teachers used tablets not only for coursework but also to research subject content, refine lesson plans, and support classroom delivery. These changes translated into practice. Teachers described more interactive lessons, clearer instructions, and greater student participation. English began to be used more widely, not only in classrooms, but in staff meetings, school activities, and informal interactions. One teacher reflected on how the programme reshaped their teaching approach, describing how students began to collaborate more confidently in English, with conversations becoming richer and more meaningful. The ripple effect extended beyond STELIR participants, influencing colleagues who were not directly enrolled in the programme.
For others, STELIR was transformational on a personal level. Teachers who once feared speaking English in front of students or peers described finding their voice, both in the classroom and beyond. STELIR’s impact has been particularly significant for female teachers. Many reported not only improved language skills, but increased confidence to take on leadership roles within their schools. Some became mentors to colleagues, while others led English conversation clubs or supported CPD delivery. By intentionally modelling gender parity among trainers and facilitators, the programme helped challenge traditional norms and demonstrate what inclusive leadership can look like in practice. For teachers like those balancing professional ambition with family responsibilities, STELIR created space to grow, showing that development opportunities can be designed in ways that acknowledge, rather than ignore, lived realities.
Alongside programme monitoring, STELIR benefited from independent research conducted in partnership with the University of Sussex and the University of Rwanda, as well as follow-up studies one year after programme delivery. Findings point to sustained improvements in teachers’ confidence using English, stronger classroom practice, enhanced ICT use, and positive changes in student outcomes. Importantly, these changes were still evident a year after the intervention, suggesting that impact is sticking. By the end of the programme, 92 per cent of in-service teachers and 97 per cent of pre-service teachers reached the target B1 English proficiency level, evidence that the model works.
For the British Council and its partners, STELIR also generated valuable learning. One key lesson is the importance of intentional support for online learning in lower-resource contexts. Providing devices, connectivity, technical support, and proactive follow-up ensured that participation was not limited to those already digitally confident. Another lesson lies in the design phase itself. By co-creating the programme with national partners and embedding inclusion from the outset, STELIR achieved both scale and depth, reaching thousands of teachers while remaining responsive to individual needs.
STELIR demonstrates what is possible when language improvement is approached not as a standalone intervention, but as part of a broader system-strengthening effort. It shows how inclusive design, strong partnerships, and long-term capacity building can deliver meaningful change – for teachers, students, and education systems. For funders and partners, the message is clear: investing in teachers means investing in the foundations of education reform. When teachers are confident, supported, and included, the impact reaches far beyond the classroom.
As Rwanda continues its education journey, the legacy of STELIR lives on – in classrooms where English is used with confidence, in schools where teachers support one another, and in systems strengthened to sustain change over time.