Nursery education: teachers and supervisors trained in multilingual learning tools

On Tuesday, August 8, training began at Maman Diankeba High School (formerly Ntinu Wene) in the municipality of Limete for teachers and administrators from the Ministry of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education on multilingual tools that promote learning among young children. The aim is to help reduce the recurring practice of teaching preschool children, on the one hand, knowledge intended for new elementary school students, and, on the other hand, the often tedious repetition of preschool material by elementary school teachers. “This training is unique in that it establishes a link between preschool and primary education. The goal is to help preschool children develop their skills to facilitate their transition to primary school,” said Josephine Mabala, Deputy Inspector General of the National Preschool Training Service (SERNAFOR). She added, “We will no longer tolerate preschool education being the domain of teachers who are unqualified, both scientifically and pedagogically.” Michel Otto, national coordinator of the Agency for the Promotion of Education and president of the World Organization for Education, hopes this workshop will lay new foundations for the education of children destined to become leaders in society. “Through this event, we want to advocate for change. The first step toward change begins with the training we have initiated,” he said. The same sentiment was echoed by the chief provincial inspector of the Kinshasa-Mont Amba educational province. “These four days of training provide a clear path to follow by taking preschool education to a new level,” he noted. This workshop will last four days, from August 8 to 11. The preschool festival will take place on August 12. Participants from all of the country’s educational provinces, as well as from the Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Angola, will learn about neuroscience, preventive speech therapy, and preschool prerequisites to facilitate learning in first grade. Approximately 200 people are taking part in this training organized by the Agency for the Promotion of Education (APE) and ORTHOKIN, under the patronage of the General Inspectorate of the EPST through SERNAFOR Maternel. Dan de Dieu Kayanda and Nodriche Kasai