Kinshasa: Collège Père Doxa now closed

The Père Doxa Middle School, part of the Petit Prince group and located in Lemba Salongo, in the Mont-Amba Educational Province of Kinshasa, was officially closed on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, by the director of the educational province, Ms. Astrid Nambuyi. The Mont-Amba Provincial Education Authority criticizes this school for operating in the same building as five other households, for lacking an operating permit issued by the relevant ministry, and for having an estimated number of students below the minimum required to open a school.   The school is also criticized for the absence of a science lab and the “haphazard grouping” of two different programs in the same room. Astrid Nambuyi spoke directly with the students and some parents about this before making her decision, which she says is intended to promote a quality learning environment for the students.   “The last time I came here, we found that the school did not meet standards. While you’re studying, there are mothers doing their housework—don’t you see them? And the other time, we found a woman preparing fufu—will you be able to concentrate?” ” she asked the students, who answered “no” to her last question, signaling their agreement with her approach. The provincial education inspector also stated in her decision that the students from this school will be transferred to neighboring schools until this school can meet the required conditions for sustainability.   The provincial chief inspector for this educational entity was also accompanying Inspector Astrid Nambuyi. For his part, he reiterated the technical role assigned to the Inspectorate: to verify the quality of both the staff and the environment in which Congolese students learn.   “We are working to improve the quality of education and ensure your safety. The decision made today is in your best interest because you are our future,” he said.   It should be noted that this sanction follows the lead of the overseeing authority, Minister Tony Mwaba Kazadi, who has himself recently made several unannounced visits to various schools to ensure the quality of education, staff, and the environment in which students learn.   One of the outcomes of these numerous inspection visits, it should be noted, was the closure of the Tusevo school complex located in the Kasavubu district of Kinshasa in October 2022 due to its unsustainability. Moïse Dianyishayi