In the DRC, teachers are at the heart of free education

Teachers are the key agents of social development and transformation. According to UNESCO, the profound positive changes driven by this key player can only be achieved with “well-supported, highly qualified, and motivated teachers who can provide an education that meets the needs of every learner in the age of knowledge societies, Industry 4.0, technology, and artificial intelligence.” It is with this in mind that the DRC has made teachers the very heart of its education system, notably through the provision of free public primary education, which has been in effect for four years now. Indeed, the government has implemented the Sectoral Strategy for Education and Training (SSEF 2016–2025), whose second pillar aims to create a high-quality education system. In addition to the ongoing salary increases for public school teachers since 2019, the Congolese government and its partners—including UNESCO and the World Bank—have conducted several training programs between 2016 and 2025 for teachers, without whom quality education would not be possible. "Free Education" as a Lever for Teacher Independence Due to a combination of factors, the education sector in the Congo had become a "no man’s land" that parents, who were supporting teachers, were struggling to keep afloat. Faced with the precariousness into which this situation had plunged education and teachers, President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi activated, in 2019, the constitutional provision on free primary education and, consequently, the state’s full financial support for teachers in this sector. This major decision has allowed teachers to exercise professional independence without facing the various pressures from parents who were once their financial supporters. Mechanization of new schools and improved salaries: a fight for teachers’ dignity Beyond simply covering teachers’ costs, the government has undertaken the commendable effort to improve conditions for these professionals. Through a series of commitments made in concert with the unions, the government has taken a major step forward for teachers’ dignity. During the Mbwela IV session in June, for example, the government authorized the mechanization of 13,058 NU units, salary and bonus adjustments for 63,461 teachers, the standardization of operating costs for 218 administrative offices, the readjustment of operating costs for the free education allowance for approximately 377,035 teachers, and the payment of 24,425 inspectors and support staff of the General Inspectorate. These measures, while not yet sufficient, aim to make the education sector attractive and thus reverse the downward trend in the number of teachers. In fact, according to UNESCO, “global data confirm that in many countries, teaching is no longer an attractive profession for younger generations, and for many teachers currently in service—even though they embraced their vocation with passion—teachers often leave the profession due to deteriorating working conditions and the growing demands placed on them by school administrators, families, and learners themselves .” It is worth noting that the world is celebrating World Teachers’ Day this Thursday, October 5. This year’s theme is: “The teachers we need for the education we want.” Established in 1994, this day aims to draw attention to the status of teachers while demonstrating a global commitment to restoring the prestige of this profession, which plays a central role in society. It commemorates the signing of the 1966 Recommendation of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO concerning the status of teaching personnel. Alain Héritier Kinanga