Feeling The Impact Of Museums In Schools
Another day! Another milestone! Setting new bench marks in cultural heritage promotion in schools
kept ringing into my ears as the outreach team set off to Karongi district, western province. Schools
visited included; College St. Mary, IPRC western, and Ecole secondaire Bwishura.
Now,
Over the last few years, many schools have eliminated or cut back on museum trips partly because of
tight budgets that make it hard to pay for a bus and admission fees and partly because of the growing
emphasis on “seat time” to cover all the materials on state tests. However, new museology emerged: a
practical theory in museums linked to community archeology that intended to move away seeing a
museum as a building to something built for and pro-people.
At present, the age of silent museum is gone and the focus by going an extra mile to cover a wider
public arena. To make up for this decline in school visits, Rwanda museums are taking their lessons to
classrooms through “Museums in schools” to fully engage with students. This re-thinking of museum
study has integrated students and local communities to become more curious in picking interest and
desire to visit or be visited by museums.
Education being a basic necessity for development, if devoid of people's culture, there would be less or
no progress at all in that given society. It would simply be more or less empty and incomplete. What is
more detrimental is having no idea of one's own identity and heritage. But knowing who you are and
where you come from is very critical and an important element to our young generations. It always
indicates a future. Then, why take risks now. The educational processes in museums today enriches and
exposes children to see, touch, and feel culture and history in a positive trend. Rwanda Museum's
outreach programs are designed to promote high early learning cultural impact and experiences for
children to fully understand and appreciate the history, culture and take pride in the achievements of
their colorful distant past.
Q&A session with Rwanda Museums DG / below
Rwanda museums DG on many occasions does not miss out his words; “we do recognize that our role
in the community goes beyond opening doors to visitors. That is why we reach out to our young
generations who might otherwise not have the chance to experience our museums.” He further
stresses on creating special educational outreach programs that help the youth to think outside the box
of a classroom. The professional training exhibited does help the young generation develop stronger
early childhood hands-on programs that stir them to think critically, cooperate in a group setting and
more so understand Rwanda's diverse and provocative past.
Museums outreach officer/students and school staff members
By working with educators and caregivers in the early childhood field and offering targeted programs
that influence children when they are most receptive, the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda
outlays an inspiring meaningful change in the education of young children throughout Rwanda.
Group photo with Rwanda museum staff
Conclusion
In an era when school trips are becoming less common due to the many constraints, we can no longer
afford to continue ignoring the role played by the youth in our societies as part of our collective
responsibility. We do feel that our youth should be given a voice in Museums.
Through shared heritage and memory, Rwanda’s cultural heritage will be more discovered, cherished
and will stand out.
The future of our nation is safe in the hands of more informed young generation on the social, political,
historical, and cultural trends about our past. We do not need to interact with the past on special
occasions, but, rather, History must be in our hands.
David Nkusi
Cultural heritage analyst/Philosophical studies expert
nkusidavid@rocketmail.com