DINACOPE reminds public school managers of the guidelines for teacher desertion and transfer

The National Directorate for Oversight, Payroll Processing, and Workforce Management of Teachers and Administrative Staff in Schools (Dinacope) has recently reminded public school administrators of the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education regarding teacher absenteeism and transfers within schools. These are the instructions contained in the Ministry’s circular, MINEPSP/SG/80/0097/2016, on the management of personnel and structural transfers, which the National Director and Head of the Dinacope, Boniface Mbaka Ngapembe, has reiterated to the provincial directors of the service. According to the DINACOPE Director, teacher desertion and transfers in violation of the instructions of the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship cause enormous difficulties in updating payroll records by his department, and as a result, administrators are required to take this into account. In cases of desertion, the DINACOPE team must verify the situation and draw up a report based on the attendance register, signed by the school principal and two teacher witnesses. In this regard, a monthly physical inspection must be conducted within 30 days, in accordance with Article 70 of the statutory provisions, to ensure that the necessary updates are made in a timely manner and to prevent the freezing of salaries. Regarding transfers, these are requested by the staff member for reasons of efficiency and formalized through a report that is duly opened and closed within a regulatory timeframe not exceeding three months. Furthermore, DINACOPE prohibits the assignment of a paid staff member to a school without a budget allocation, and even within a school with a budget allocation, to a position without a budget allocation. “(...) This course of action further complicates the task of updating the payroll records and results in the nullification of efforts to ensure that each employee receives pay at their workplace. Not only is the update constantly disrupted, but staff work in a climate of insecurity regarding both their careers and their salaries. Any loss of salary for an employee in the middle of their career tarnishes DINACOPE’s image,” writes Boniface Mbaka Ngapembe. However, to address the concerns raised during the recent Bibwa meeting regarding teachers’ lost salaries, DIPROCOPE and SCAN were asked to ensure the payment of salaries for transferred employees. In the event of a delay, a letter justifying the delay must be sent to the National Director of DINACOPE. As for inspectors, they will now receive their salaries at the beginning of each quarter, whether due to promotions, transfers, reassignments, or family reunification for women. This reminder of hierarchical instructions highlights the importance of transparent and effective human resources management in the education sector in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This aims to ensure the smooth operation of the payroll system and to guarantee that all staff members receive fair treatment. Marie SHOMBA