Tony Mwaba enquires about preparations for certification tests

The head of the Department of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST), Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, convened a working session on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in the meeting room of his office to review preparations for the certification exams (State Exam, TENASOSP, and TENAFEP), which will be held in the coming days in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Present were the Inspector General of the EPST, Jacques Odia Musungayi, accompanied by his deputies in charge of assessments, the minister’s advisors, and members of the Technical Commission.

In his remarks, the Inspector General of the EPST informed Minister Tony Mwaba that preparations are proceeding smoothly despite certain logistical difficulties that have arisen, particularly with suppliers who are dragging their feet due to previous invoices that have not yet been paid by the Government of the Republic.

Jacques Odia Musungayi also noted that the out-of-session exams for the State Examination are already scheduled for May 6, 2024, which, according to him, requires that the ITM exam materials be sent to the provinces by April 28, 2024, at the latest.

The head of the EPST, for his part, invited the audience to consider ways to avoid difficulties related to the purchase, packaging, transport, and distribution of ITM exam materials to the testing centers. This involves compiling the exams, sending them for printing to the various educational provinces, which will then transport them to the exam centers.

Professor Tony Mwaba’s approach was welcomed in the meeting room, given its relevance, which will allow the Ministry, through the General Inspectorate, to save time and conserve resources. The head of the EPST called on the Technical Commission to review this approach and report back to him as soon as possible so that practical arrangements could be made.

Immediately following this working session, the minister made a surprise visit to the EPST printing press to verify firsthand all the explanations he had been given regarding the organization of the certification exams.

Christian BELLA