Felix Tshisekedi's inaugural speech: the re-elected President wants to extend free secondary education

In his speech at his inauguration for a second term as head of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi expressed his intention to extend free education to the secondary level. The Congolese head of state has made the expansion of this measure—which has been in place at the primary level since 2019—one of the priorities of his new five-year term, which runs until 2028. At the same time, he also pledged to continue the successful Local Development Program for 145 Territories (PDL 145), which has provided more than a hundred schools across the country, thereby alleviating to some extent one of the major side effects of free primary education: overcrowded classrooms. "This term will aim to:...fifth, to ensure greater access to basic services: by ensuring the expansion of programs such as Universal Health Coverage, Free Education, and PDL 145T," he said on January 20 in his speech at the Martyrs’ Stadium in Kinshasa. President Félix Tshisekedi is particularly committed to more effectively eradicating the insecurity that, it should be noted, has disrupted the administration of the State Exam and the ENAFEP for many students in previous years in certain parts of the country. As a reminder, it has been since 2019 that the Congolese Head of State, Félix Tshisekedi, has implemented free primary education. This measure has enabled more than 5 million children, who were previously excluded from the Congolese education system due to a lack of financial means, to re-enter it. Ouriel Mangitukwa