Raïssa Malu: "More than a million pupils are affected by this war situation in North and South Kivu".

The tone was grave, the urgency palpable, and the figures terrifying. Raïssa Malu, Minister of National Education and New Citizenship, sounded the alarm on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, during a press briefing in which she outlined the extent of the devastation caused by the Rwandan aggression on the education system in the provinces of North and South Kivu. More than a million students deprived of education, schools reduced to ashes by bombing, and hundreds more turned into military bases by armed groups. The figures are overwhelming; ; “We have schools that have been destroyed by bombing, and hundreds of schools are occupied by armed groups.” The minister did not mince words: “We have nearly 2,500 schools affected by this war in these provinces. We have also heard reports of a school that was used as a cemetery, and schools where the desks and chairs were destroyed and used as firewood,” she said indignantly. The work of educational reconstruction, patiently carried out over the past few years, has been reduced to nothing. “It is extremely hard to see a school destroyed, knowing all the effort we put into building them,” lamented Raïssa Malu, before recalling the core values of the citizen’s oath: “love of the homeland, love and respect for one’s fellow citizens, respect for the common good, as well as national unity and fraternity.” Despite the insecurity, the determination to reopen schools remains intact, but under strict conditions. “Schools are being urged to reopen, but obviously, before opening a school, we must ensure that safety conditions are met. So, there is a checklist to verify those conditions.” The reality is grim: “We have an attendance rate of around 50% of children in schools. This clearly shows that the sense of insecurity remains very high among parents who are still keeping their children at home.” Despite everything, Raïssa Malu is more determined than ever “We are first and foremost determined to resolve the war situation. But, as far as my sector is concerned, in particular, we are committed to improving access to quality education. I reaffirm here our solidarity and, likewise, our commitment to quality education because it is education that supports the country’s development, and our goal is to accelerate that development. We are going to work twice as hard in the national education sector,” she emphasized. The issue of using national languages in schools was also addressed. “As for the use of national languages in education, this has been my cause in recent years. I am the foremost advocate for the use of national languages because, in my view, if I want to improve science and math education, this must be achieved, in particular, through the use of these languages,” she stated. Substantial work is underway to train teachers for this purpose. “We had already begun this work with the Ministry of Higher Education. We need scientists and linguists working to ensure that the concept is correctly translated and conveyed,” concluded the Minister of State. Rigobert MUKENDI