PAAF: raising awareness of the need to sign codes of conduct

Teaching and administrative staff in the National Education and New Citizenship (EDU-NC) sub-sector, drawn from the five educational provinces of the city of Kinshasa—namely Lukunga, Mont-Amba, Funa, Plateau, and Tshangu—are currently being educated on the importance of signing the Codes of Conduct for teaching staff and state public officials. A Campaign to Strengthen Professional Ethics Led by the Ministry of EDU-NC, this campaign is being implemented as part of the Project to Support Girls’ Empowerment (PAAF), with financial support from the World Bank. It aims to promote ethical and professional commitments by encouraging teachers and public officials to sign the declarations of adherence to the two codes. A broader scope than the previous campaign Unlike the previous campaign conducted between 2021 and 2022 by the Project for Equity and Strengthening of the Education System (PERSE), which focused solely on primary school teachers, this new phase expands its target audience. It targets teachers in the Final Cycle of Basic Education (CTEB) and the humanities, as well as administrative and political staff, at both the national and decentralized levels. This initiative is part of a broader effort to promote professionalization, empowerment, and accountability within the Congolese education system. Priority Areas of Intervention The initiative is structured around several strategic priorities, including: 1. Raising awareness among education stakeholders and administrative and political staff of the General Secretariat of MINEDU-NC, the General Inspectorate of Education (IGE), and the Office of the Minister of State regarding: - The Code of Conduct for State Public Officials, - The related engagement agreement, - The Complaint Management Mechanism (MGP), - And the operation of the Allo-École platform. 2. Informing staff at public CTEB and humanities (secondary education) institutions about the content of Code 22; 3. Provide awareness-raising tools to departments under the SG, IGE services, and the Cabinet, in connection with the Code of Conduct for Public Officials; 4. Provide educational tools to public secondary schools in the 10 target provinces for the dissemination of Code 22; 5. Ensure that 100% of administrative and political staff in the aforementioned departments at the national and decentralized levels sign the commitment to the Code of Conduct; 6. Obtain signatures on Code 22 from 100% of the 227,000 teachers in 16,376 public secondary schools, with systematic archiving in administrative files and the creation of a list of signatories. More Transparent and Inclusive Educational Governance Through this campaign, the government reaffirms its commitment to strengthening ethical, inclusive, and transparent governance in the education sector, in accordance with the fourth guiding principle of the 2024–2029 Five-Year Plan of the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship. Codes of Conduct, for both teachers and administrative and political staff, are key tools for ensuring a safe, respectful, and equitable school environment for everyone. Kinshasa, the final stage of a national campaign The city-province of Kinshasa marks the final stage of this extensive campaign, following its rollout in the provinces targeted by the PAAF, notably: Ituri, Kasai, Kasai Central, Kasai Oriental, Kongo Central, Kwilu, Lomami, North Kivu, and South Kivu. Willy Kambulu and Dan de Dieu Kayanda