By The Source Post Editorial Team
A school in rural Karongi is producing some of Rwanda’s brightest students. At the centre of that story is Niyomugabo Dominique, a teacher and education leader who believes that excellence is built through discipline, hard work, accountability and teamwork.
When Rwanda released the 2025/2026 national examination results, two students from TTC Rubengera immediately stood out. Uwikunda Justine scored 94.55%, while Irakoze Pacome posted an outstanding 95.93%.
Their performances placed them among the country’s top performers and once again put TTC Rubengera in the national spotlight.
But for The Source Post editorial team, the results raised a bigger question: What is happening inside this school that enables students from a rural setting to compete at the highest level nationally?
The answer led to Niyomugabo Dominique, who has spent the past 20 years working to shape the lives and ambitions of young people.
Excellence does not happen by accident
TTC Rubengera is located in Rubengera town, about 300 metres from the roundabout near the offices of Karongi District.
The school’s vision is to be a “school of excellence for training qualified teachers,” while its mission is to train competent pre-primary and primary teachers and provide training for in-service teachers.
Its objectives include improving teaching and learning, increasing access to education, ensuring security and cleanliness, improving students’ living conditions, promoting sports and leisure, and strengthening financial management and accountability.
For Dominique, these principles must translate into daily practice.
He began teaching in 2005 and has worked in different schools and leadership positions, including ES Munzanga and ES Kirinda, before taking charge of TTC Rubengera.
His record at ES Kirinda tells part of the story
While leading ES Kirinda, Ndahimana Alexis emerged as the best-performing student in the country in General Sciences in the 2022 national examinations. He later received a scholarship to study Medicine in Russia.
At TTC Rubengera, Dominique is now helping another generation push beyond what they thought was possible.
His first lesson is discipline
For Dominique, academic excellence starts with character, not examination papers.
This success did not surprise us because we already believed these students would perform well,”
he told The Source Post.
He says discipline teaches young people to respect their responsibilities, manage their time and complete tasks properly and on time.
At TTC Rubengera, students are therefore expected to take ownership of their studies and understand that success requires consistent effort.
Turning ambition into accountability
One of Dominique’s approaches is encouraging students to set performance commitments.
Students sign commitments together with their teachers, while the administration also becomes part of the process.
When they study, they know that they have commitments they signed, so they put in the effort needed to fulfil them,”
Dominique explained.
The idea turns academic targets into personal responsibility.
Preparing before examination day
Students at TTC Rubengera regularly complete assignments, tests and exercises designed to prepare them for examinations.
This allows teachers to identify weaknesses early and gives learners opportunities to improve before the national examination.
For Dominique, examination success is therefore not created on examination day. It is built through habits developed throughout the school year.
The power of teamwork
Dominique also believes excellence cannot depend on students alone.
Teachers work together in preparing lessons, assessments and examination materials, creating coordinated support for learners.
When people work together towards a common goal, they achieve it,”
he said.
Students are also encouraged to become independent learners. The school gives them access to ICT rooms where they can conduct research and deepen their understanding beyond classroom lessons.
The results are speaking
The 2025/2026 results offered fresh evidence of the school’s approach.
Irakoze Pacome, a Social Studies student, scored 95.93%, while Uwikunda Justine, who studied Languages, achieved 94.55%.
The success extended beyond the two leading students, with the school’s overall average exceeding 80%.
For Dominique, the figures represent more than marks. They show that a culture of excellence is taking root.
Success that inspires others
Dominique wants younger students to see Pacome and Justine’s achievements as proof that excellence is within their reach.
When they see their older colleagues achieving at that level, it gives them confidence and shows them that everything is possible,”
he said.
The students themselves also recognise the importance of hard work, discipline, perseverance, doing everything on time and prayer.
These values closely reflect the message Dominique has delivered throughout his career.
Twenty years of building people, not just grades
Niyomugabo Dominique’s story is bigger than examination results.
Since beginning his teaching career in 2005, he has built his philosophy around a simple belief: education is not only about passing exams, but about building disciplined, confident and responsible young people.
His journey from ES Kirinda to TTC Rubengera shows what can happen when high expectations are matched with hard work, teamwork and accountability.
The 95.93% and 94.55% scores may have captured national attention, but behind those numbers is a culture of excellence built over time—one student, one lesson and one commitment at a time.
For Dominique, the greatest reward is not simply seeing students succeed today. It is seeing them leave school believing that their circumstances do not define how far they can go.
After 20 years in education, his message remains clear: great teachers do more than produce good grades—they build people who are ready to shape the future.
