Higher Learning Summary and Analysis

Immaculee was an excellent student but, like many Tutsis, she was overlooked in an effort to elevate Hutu children. The government intended to balance the school openings. Because the Hutus were the majority of the population, it was believed that Hutu children should also be the majority in the school system. Tutsi children had no rights protecting them from this discrimination and even the most gifted and deserving were often denied scholarships. When Immaculee was passed over for a scholarship to a good public school, her father took action. He sold two cows—an extravagant gesture both in money and reputation—to pay the tuition for Immaculee's first year of private high school. He was determined that his children would be well educated. Most families were not so fortunate, and outright payment of tuition was not possible...