DRC-Education Nationale: Education system stakeholders draw up an operational action plan for the PEQIP project

The acting governor of Kasaï-Oriental, Augustin Kayemba, closed the operational launch workshop for the Primary Education Quality Improvement Project (PEQIP), funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), last Friday.  Held from July 9 to 12, 2025, in Mbuji-Mayi, the meeting brought together stakeholders from the Congolese education system from Kinshasa and the beneficiary provinces. Over four days, participants developed a realistic, budgeted Operational Action Plan (OAP) covering, in particular: - The construction of schools and WASH facilities starting in December 2025; - The distribution of 5.3 million textbooks between April and August 2026; - Training 150,000 teachers in the use of new teaching materials; - The adoption of a national textbook policy starting in January 2027. In his closing remarks, the acting governor emphasized that at this point, “this is no longer just a project, but a collective effort. Everyone must assume their responsibilities, mobilize their teams, and stay the course with rigor, transparency, and a spirit of accountability.” South Kivu still involved despite absence from the workshop When asked about the absence of education officials from South Kivu, Ms. Wali Belade, PEQIP coordinator, explained that it was due to security instability in certain areas of the province, while expressing hope for an improvement in the near future to allow for effective deployment on the ground. Unanimous recognition from participants On behalf of the participants, Jean Pierre Luabeya Ntumba, provincial coordinator of Écoles Conventionnées Lumière, praised “the commitment of His Excellency the Acting Governor and the strategic vision of the PEQIP Coordinator, whose approachability and clarity have marked these days.” He also expressed the participants’ gratitude to the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship (MINEDU-NC) and to the technical and financial partners for the quality of the discussions and the collective development of a realistic operational plan. Implemented over the 2024–2028 period, the PEQIP receives $69 million in funding from the GPE, with technical support from the World Bank. It targets five provinces: Ituri, Kasai, Kasai Central, Kasai Oriental, and South Kivu. Moïse Dianyishayi