Mbanza-Ngungu: CIEAS launches a workshop in preparation for the second national evaluation of learning achievement

With financial and technical support from the Project for the Improvement of the Quality of Education (PEQIP), the Independent Unit for the Assessment of Academic Achievement (CIEAS) has been holding a workshop since July 6 in the Mbanza-Ngungu district of Kongo Central, as part of the preparatory phase for the second national assessment of primary school learning outcomes, scheduled for 2026 across the country’s 26 provinces. This work aims to achieve the following objectives: harmonize competency scales, develop or revise items for future assessments, and expand the National Framework for the Assessment of Learning Outcomes (CNEAS). As planned, the first three days, from July 6 to 9, were devoted to the first deliverable: the harmonization of competency scales. To this end, two working groups were formed based on the targeted subjects: a “French” group and a “mathematics” group. Each group produced updated competency scales, adapted to the Congolese context and the quality requirements of the assessment. Subsequently, participants also began work on the second deliverable: the revision and/or development of assessment items, taking into account grade levels, subjects/sub-subjects, and the targeted competencies from the results of the first national assessment conducted in 2021. Through these sessions, the CIEAS demonstrates its commitment to building on the achievements of the first edition and ensuring, by 2026, a rigorous, inclusive national assessment that drives improvements in the quality of primary education. The Independent Unit for the Assessment of Academic Achievement (CIEAS) has as its primary objective the provision of indicators that will contribute to improving the quality of student learning and proposing remedial measures regarding curriculum, teaching methods, and teacher training. This work will continue through July 13. Dan de Dieu Kayanda and Nodriche Kasaï