Improving the quality of teaching: CIEAS surveys methods and practices in primary classrooms

The Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship (EDU-NC), through the Independent Unit for the Assessment of Academic Achievement (CIEAS), launched a survey on classroom practices in certain administrative provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on November 18, 2025. This survey, conducted in 454 schools selected in the provinces of Ituri, Kasai, Kasaï Central, and Kasaï Oriental, aims to assess the pedagogical effectiveness of primary school teachers and is part of the Primary Education Quality Improvement Project (PEQIP), funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) with technical support from the World Bank. Approximately 45 local observers, carefully trained by the CIEAS, were deployed to monitor 30 lessons/instructional sequences of 45 minutes each over a 10-day period, particularly in French, mathematics, and science. This survey is not a substitute for an inspection, much less a disciplinary review, according to a national supervisor from the CIEAS.

“We observe, we listen, we collect data. The goal is to understand the realities on the ground, to identify teachers’ strengths and needs in order to better guide the professional development and pedagogical support of primary school teachers.”

In Tshikapa, a scene reported by the CIEAS describes an investigator who closely observed a lesson on fractions in the 5th grade. For 45 minutes, the observer took notes on behaviors illustrating the interactions between the teacher and the students. The survey also examined teachers’ and school principals’ awareness of the Complaint Management Mechanism (MGP), as well as issues related to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA/HS).

“We cannot talk about the quality of education if the environment is not safe for the child,” noted an expert from the PEQIP Coordination Team.

Among the challenges encountered, observers noted in particular the impassability of roads and the lack of adequate transportation to reach schools. Added to this are difficult weather conditions and a shortage of teaching materials.

“Despite these obstacles, the mission is moving forward without interruption,” said CIEAS National Coordinator Didier Niki Niki.

According to him, this survey will enable schools to be transformed—not through trial and error, but through observation, measurement, and understanding. The next step is the analysis of field data by a team of statisticians and the publication of the final report in 2026. This will help identify training needs as part of capacity-building activities for primary school teachers and inform the indicator on teacher effectiveness scores. Deleine Diazolakana