Projet Efficace: Experts validate the draft national policy for in-service teacher training

The technical review of the revised draft of the National Policy on Continuing Education for Teachers in the First Six Years of Basic Education took place on Monday, March 3, 2025. This workshop, which brought together university professors, coordinators from charter schools, directors of ministry departments, and experts from the National Service for Teacher Training (SERNAFOR), served to validate this key draft. The workshop’s objective was to focus on the persistent challenges encountered in implementing this policy, which was enacted in 2013. These challenges include: limited access to training, particularly in rural and remote areas; the insufficient relevance of continuing education programs; a lack of teaching materials and information and communication technologies (ICT); and inadequate public funding. Failure to implement the National Continuing Education Plan and the low value placed on continuing education are also major problems, as is the difficulty in mastering the linguistic and pedagogical aspects of the national languages. High-quality teaching staff: a priority for the Ministry For the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship, this validation represents a step forward toward the continuous improvement of basic education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as explained by Dora Muanda, the Minister’s advisor on Reforms, Educational Innovations, and Evaluation.  

“The minister’s priority is curriculum reform and teacher training. We truly want to support those on the ground: our teachers, our students, and our inspectors. They are the ones doing the work. We want to empower them, equip them, support them, and help them advance in their careers. This involves documents and agreements with all stakeholders to build meaningful support that our teachers and students can rely on. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of education together, and this validation is part of that,” she stated.

The next step: political approval The revised project will soon be presented to Minister Raïssa Malu for political approval before its implementation. It should be noted that this technical validation is part of the Efficace project (Girls’ Education, Initial and Continuing Teacher Training, and Support for Educational Continuity), a four-year program launched by the Congolese government in collaboration with GPE, AFD, UNESCO, and UNICEF. Moïse Dianyishayi