Consolidating the gains of Félix Tshisekedi's first term: Tony Mwaba inaugurates the Maman Sifa C.S. in Kinkole

On Thursday, February 1, 2024, the Minister of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST), Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, inaugurated the Maman Sifa School Complex, a renovated public school with a large capacity in Kinkole, in the Kinshasa-Plateau educational province. This school, which joins the list of leading schools in Kinshasa, offers students in this part of the capital the opportunity to study under improved conditions. 

In his speech delivered for the occasion, Minister Tony Mwaba first outlined the context of this government initiative, which aligns with the Head of State’s vision to consolidate the achievements of his first five-year term in the public education sector. 

"This renovation is part of the effort to consolidate the achievements of the first term of the President of the Republic, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, to whom I pay heartfelt tribute at this time. Among the achievements of the first term are free public primary education, as well as the resolution of issues related in particular to the quality of learning and overcrowding in classrooms. This requires the construction of new school infrastructure and the rehabilitation of facilities that have become dilapidated," stated the head of the EPST. 

Professor Tony Mwaba then revealed that the idea stemmed from a sobering observation: in most of the country’s provinces, and particularly in the city of Kinshasa, many of the leading educational institutions are private or charter schools, even though the Congolese state holds a monopoly on education. This, according to the minister, is what prompted the government to take responsibility.

"It is within this framework and on the instructions of the President of the Republic that we decided to implement an emergency plan to rehabilitate all official flagship schools to make them competitive, across all provinces of the Republic, starting with the capital because it serves as a model. Thus, we have decided to have at least one rehabilitated public school in each of Kinshasa’s educational provinces, ultimately to ensure not only effective learning but also the quality of education. Free education must not overshadow quality,” said the head of the EPST. 

This is a program of the Ministry of EPST that is distinct from the 145 Territories Development Project.

In the capital, at least six schools have been selected for renovation, with the Maman Sifa School Complex being the first to be inaugurated. This school complex includes 14 classrooms, four workshops for technical courses, several administrative offices, and restroom facilities.

All these achievements were made possible thanks to the National Directorate for the Maintenance, Rehabilitation, and Construction of School Infrastructure (DINAC), which received financial support from the Fund for the Promotion of Education and Training (FPEF).

The Maman Sifa School Complex is now in the hands of the school administrators, who have been strongly urged to manage it with due care and maintain it using the operating funds that will be paid monthly, just like all other model schools in Kinshasa.

Christian BELLA