Wednesday in North Kivu 1: education authorities oppose "payment of fees by category" in some schools

On Wednesday, January 31, 2024, education officials from North Kivu 1 visited several schools to assess students’ learning conditions and remind school principals to comply with official directives. This was done in accordance with the circular issued by Minister Tony Mwaba Kazadi declaring “Wednesday as a day of inspection” in all accredited public and private schools, as well as administrative offices across all educational provinces. The Chem Chem and Amani high schools, Mwanga Middle School, and Mont-Carmel Institute—all Catholic charter schools—were visited. On site, the findings were disheartening. The educational authorities of North Kivu 1 found that none of these schools strictly adhere to the official instructions of the overseeing ministry, much less the government decree setting school fees. For example, at Amani High School, it was found that fees are charged by category. Class A pays $320, while Classes B and C each pay $220. Added to this are laboratory fees set at $4 per month, or $40 per year, and the mandatory sale of T-shirt uniforms. “This is a multi-tiered system and discriminatory education that could lead to a certain degree of animosity among students, given their social classes. Proportionate disciplinary sanctions are planned. In all the schools visited, the story is the same with a few minor differences. All these schools stand out for their failure to comply with official instructions regarding the setting of school fees. “Investigations are still ongoing,” said Luc Gbaweza, director of the North Kivu 1 educational province, to the DGC-EPST. Later, Luc Gbaweza, director of the North Kivu 1 educational province, participated in the 2023 year-end evaluation meeting. The meeting took place in the governorate’s conference room in the presence of the senior advisor to the military governor in charge of education. In his presentation, Luc Gbaweza first highlighted several positive developments in the sub-sector within his educational province. He specifically cited: the training of educators on the interpretation and implementation of the new national preschool curriculum, the provision of mathematics, science, and French textbooks for elementary and middle grades in primary schools, the distribution of dictionaries in primary and secondary schools, the effective implementation of free basic education in all public primary schools in the North Kivu 1 educational province, and the punishment of cases of anti-values within the framework of GBV. In his argument, he lamented the lack of financial resources for the construction and equipping of appropriate infrastructure for five nursery schools in the sub-districts of Goma, Karisimbi 1 & 2, and Rutshuru 1, which were planned for the 2022–2023 school year, the shortage of primary school classrooms resulting from overcrowding caused by the effects of free education, and the failure to organize certification exams in occupied areas. He specifically recommended to the military governor’s advisor the construction and rehabilitation of destroyed schools, as well as the protection of school grounds and facilities through legal measures. Dan de Dieu Kayanda