Withdrawal of unpaid diplomas and academic titles: what you need to know

In fact, the Ministry of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST), through the General Inspectorate, has implemented new guidelines to further simplify the process of obtaining these academic credentials, which are required by government agencies worldwide. Here is what you need to know: These new guidelines are contained in a press release dated October 18, 2022, signed by the Deputy Inspector General and Head of the Department of Equivalency, Documents, and Academic Records, Tshimanga Laurent. According to this EPST official, this document aims to streamline the weekly reception of visitors. Every Wednesday is reserved for “applications for academic credentials and documents from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.” Friday, meanwhile, is reserved for picking up these credentials, also from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pickup takes place on the third Friday following the submission of the application, the press release states, upon presentation of proof of payment for the application form, which costs 10,000 FC. The applicant or their representative must complete the form without any erasures or overwriting, strictly adhering to the form’s sections. The form is submitted to the inspector or their substitute. However, “contact information must be accurate and precise to facilitate searches in the archives,” the press release specifies. This procedure is the same for obtaining other academic documents, notably certification (a document issued when a diploma has been lost) and transcripts of state exam scores, which serve as proof of the candidate’s success in state exams. For obtaining certification To obtain a replacement certificate, the recipient must present either a photocopy of the lost diploma or the report cards from the fifth and sixth grades of secondary school. “A person other than the recipient must present a clear, properly drafted power of attorney certified by a legally established authority,” explains the press release. It adds: “The representative must present their own identification documents and a photocopy of those of the person who authorized them.” Diploma Authentication Regarding the authentication of diplomas and academic credentials, the request must “be addressed to the Minister and the Inspector General and include a photocopy of the academic credential to be authenticated,” the statement adds. Nowadays, it is possible to collect state diplomas on-site in Kinshasa for all educational provinces. The form is purchased and filled out on-site either by the recipient themselves or by their representative, unlike in the past. It should be noted that regarding state diplomas for the 2015 session, “the official forms are available to the General Inspectorate for processing,” the statement concludes. Thierry Mbebangu