Alarming education situation in North and South Kivu: Updated figures

Since the last update, the educational situation in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu has continued to deteriorate as a result of the war of aggression waged by Rwanda and its M23 proxies. The targeted destruction of school infrastructure, the occupation of schools by armed groups, and the rising number of displaced students are severely jeopardizing access to education and the future of thousands of Congolese children.

North Kivu: Schools Closed and Destroyed

In this province, 692 schools are closed, depriving 471,183 children of their right to education. Of these schools, 35 have been destroyed, 45 lack school furniture, and 3 are occupied by armed groups, making any immediate rehabilitation impossible.

South Kivu: Access to education severely threatened

The situation is equally critical, with 1,428,707 children (49% of whom are girls) out of school. Among them, 1,619 graduating students had to be re-enrolled in other provinces. Currently, 5,235 schools are closed, broken down as follows: 3,160 secondary schools, 1,756 primary schools, and 319 preschool schools.

In the South Kivu 1 educational province, 840 classrooms have housed displaced persons in the Kalehe 1 subdivision, while 536 classrooms in 66 schools have been completely destroyed by bomb shrapnel. The presence of armed groups is affecting 57 schools, and 104 others are still occupied by internally displaced persons, jeopardizing any normal resumption of classes for 48,714 students, including 19,486 girls. School supplies have also been severely damaged, with 21,882 desks burned, 13,200 textbooks destroyed, 830 sets of teaching materials stolen, and 336 blackboards, 400 shelves, and 50 flags reduced to ashes.

Since the occupation of Kalehe territory on January 20, 2025, the situation has worsened further, with 4 schools completely destroyed by bombing, 52 schools occupied by armed groups, and 17,806 desks damaged.

In the island territory of Idjwi, although not directly affected by the fighting, schools have been impacted by the massive influx of internally displaced persons from the occupied city of Goma and the territory of Kalehe. In total, 28 schools—8 secondary schools and 20 primary schools—are currently occupied by internally displaced persons, impacting the education of 10,227 students (including 4,964 girls).

In the Kabare 2 subdistrict, 5 primary schools are under armed occupation, while 10 others are serving as shelters for displaced people. The destruction of educational infrastructure there is extensive, with 67 classrooms completely destroyed, 667 desks burned, 15 blackboards stolen, 556 textbooks reduced to ashes, 304 teaching materials stolen, and 226 latrine doors rendered unusable. The material and educational damage directly affects 4,052 students, including 1,981 girls, who now have no access to education.

In the Kalehe 1 sub-district, 43 schools have been affected, including 11 occupied by armed groups and 32 converted into shelters for displaced families, preventing any return to learning. One school was destroyed by shelling, resulting in the loss of all its educational materials, while another was converted into a military camp.

School infrastructure has sustained significant damage. Several buildings have been riddled with bullets, their walls collapsing under the impact of gunfire, leaving classrooms open to the sky. Many desks have been burned or destroyed, school supplies looted, blackboards shattered, and textbooks scattered. Under these conditions, hygiene is also compromised, with latrines overflowing and unusable, endangering the health of students and teachers. Before the occupation, 7,278 girls attended these schools; today, there are only 6,936. Among boys, the number of enrolled students has dropped from 14,748 to 14,185, as they have been forced to abandon their studies due to insecurity and the destruction of infrastructure. This crisis affects more than 1,899,890 children, and 5,927 schools remain closed in the two Kivu provinces.

An urgent call to action

The Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship reaffirms its commitment to preserving access to education despite this major crisis. In collaboration with its partners, it is implementing emergency measures, including the re-enrollment of displaced students in host schools and the development of alternative learning solutions.

Mobilizing resources to rebuild destroyed school infrastructure, ensure the protection of schools in high-risk areas, and provide psychosocial support to affected students is a priority.

Education must never be a target of war.