Free basic education in the public sector has been effective since Monday, September 2, 2019. From 7:30, students from the primary cycle of the DR Congo have returned to school in accordance with Article 43 of the Constitution . Schools that have already collected fees from their parents are in the process of reimbursement. The Congolese State having decided to assume its sovereign duties.
In fact, the Government has committed to pay the first level of adjusted salaries of teachers, as of October 2019. But also to cover the operating costs of 30,773 of the 51,574 public schools identified by the Ministry of Education. Primary, secondary and vocational education (EPSP).
At these schools, the state has agreed to provide care of about $ 28 million a month to make free basic education a reality.
The EPSP General Secretariat circular states that « the second and third levels will be paid under the Finance Act for the 2020 financial year. And that the Government will have to pay, by the payroll of October 2019, housing and transportation allowances to teachers in the city of Kinshasa and provincial capitals. «
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Other measures taken to facilitate free basic education in public and contracted institutions include the placement of 15,000 unpaid teachers in public primary schools, and the National end-of-study test (TENAFEP). These costs will now be borne by the public treasury.
According to the general secretariat at EPSP, it is strictly forbidden to transform schools into supply and sale houses for school supplies and articles (uniforms, escutcheons, class newspapers, notebooks, ties, etc.). as is often the case in the DRC.
In the preparations for this school year, the National Executive has promised to ensure the quality of quality education in this context of free. This is the case of the strict respect of the school calendar and all its practical provisions concerning in particular the obligatory respect of the canvases by all the actors and the educational partners of the National Education, the wearing of the school uniform by all the pupils, girls and boys, but also the dates of writing and transmission of various administrative reports and other charts.
He also insisted on the respect of the periods foreseen for the organization of the foundations of school promotion and the annual evaluation meeting of the National Education Inspectorate, the Elective General Assemblies of the parents and the day of the Teaching celebrated on April 30 of each year.
At the end of the round table on free basic education held in Kinshasa, the experts recommended in particular to the Congolese Government a good management of unpaid teachers and new recruits, but also of to improve the salary of all teachers.
As a result, the overall cost of providing free education at the primary level was nearly $ 2.6 billion. To find these funds, the Final Report recommends the establishment of a solidarity tax for education.
Emilie MBOYO