SERNAFOR: coordinators of schools under agreement made aware of the importance of pre-school education

The General Inspectorate of SERNAFOR organized a workshop on Thursday bringing together the national coordinators of charter schools to raise their awareness of the importance of preschool education. The meeting, chaired by Michel Otto, Deputy Inspector General in charge of training for preschool teaching staff, brought together several stakeholders in the education sector to assess the state of preschool education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Under the theme “Why Invest in Preschool Today?”, this event highlighted the many challenges facing this sub-sector. According to the statistics presented, only 6% of children have access to preschool facilities, 12% of teachers are qualified, and 18% of inspectors possess the required skills. Added to this is the lack of specific projects to support preschool development.

Faced with this alarming situation, Michel Otto issued a call to action:

“A child’s brain develops from an early age. It is essential to invest in quality preschools and provide all children with education from their earliest years.”

Some local initiatives, however, are encouraging. In Kwilu Province, 500 preschools are mechanized and supported, while in the Bilungu 2 Nkara subdivision, there are already 150 public preschools and 148 mechanized ones, promoting broader access to early childhood education.

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants made several commitments to strengthen the development of preschool education in the DRC, emphasizing that this sub-sector is now a priority for the future of the education system and the country. The General Inspectorate of SERNAFOR thus calls on partners and decision-makers to support these efforts in order to guarantee quality education for Congolese children from a very young age.

Nodriche Kasai