First Wednesday of roaming at EPST: Tony Mwaba leads by example

On his first day of field visits—as he had announced in his circular dated March 4—the Minister of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST), Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, killed two birds with one stone. On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, he visited the educational provinces of Kinshasa/Tshangu and Kinshasa/Plateau to get a firsthand look at conditions on the ground—a way for him to set an example for his staff, who are expected to strictly adhere to this new tradition to ensure the smooth operation of the subsector and restore its long-tarnished image. The head of the EPST first visited the Kinshasa/Tshangu educational province, where he was welcomed by the new Provincial Chief Inspector (IPP) of that jurisdiction and members of his office. Professor Tony Mwaba praised the quality of the work carried out by this key figure in the subsector and noted at the same time that things are progressing well in accordance with his instructions aimed at revitalizing the inspectorate system.   Next, the minister traveled to the Kinshasa/Plateau educational province, where he made a surprise visit to Collège la Rosée in the commune of N'sele, a school which, according to the information gathered, is private but operates under the management of a religious organization named RENECO. Here, however, Professor Tony Mwaba made a grim observation and quickly realized that this school does not meet the conditions for sustainability. For example, Collège la Rosée, which offers five academic tracks, has only six small classrooms in deplorable condition, the principal’s office in a shed, and a courtyard separated by sheet metal from a residential house. On the spot, Minister Tony Mwaba summoned the school’s sponsor. Upon his arrival, the head of the EPST instructed Inspector General Jacques Odia Musungayi to dispatch a mission to take severe measures against such non-viable and chaotic schools. In addition to his field visit today, Minister Tony Mwaba is awaiting reports from his staff members who also conducted on-site inspections this Wednesday. The goal is to restore the long-tarnished image of the EPST sub-sector. Christian BELLA