Institutionalization of Citizens' Vigilance Clubs (CVC) and reinforcement of sanitation in schools

The Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship hereby informs the public that Her Excellency the Minister of State has signed a ministerial decree establishing the creation, organization, and operation of Citizen Watch Clubs (CVC) in all primary and secondary schools throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This regulatory act is accompanied by a mandatory circular regarding the promotion of health and environmental protection in schools, addressed to all officials in the national education sector.

These measures stem from the implementation of the Ministry’s 2024–2029 Five-Year Plan, particularly its strategic pillar dedicated to promoting citizenship. They reflect the Government’s commitment to embedding education in republican, ethical, and patriotic values at the heart of the education system in a structured and sustainable manner.

Citizen Watch Clubs now serve as the cornerstone initiatives designed to cultivate in students a sense of civic duty, solidarity, and social responsibility. By offering a structured framework for learning and engagement, these clubs have as their primary mission the promotion of national values, including the Citizen’s Oath, the celebration of our history, and the strengthening of national cohesion through dialogue. Operating under the authority of school principals and in strict compliance with gender parity, the CVCs operate within an exclusively educational and apolitical framework.

In close conjunction with this reform, the circular on sanitation establishes rigorous standards aimed at ensuring a healthy and safe learning environment. It mandates the implementation of waste management systems and hygiene protocols, while institutionalizing regular awareness-raising initiatives on environmental protection. This integrated approach aims not only to improve the school environment but also to achieve the gradual sanitation of urban spaces nationwide through the adoption of new civic behaviors.

Through this transformative reform, the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship reaffirms its determination to educate a new generation of responsible and committed Congolese citizens, who will serve as true pillars of the nation’s unity and sustainable development.

Done at Kinshasa, April 10, 2026

The Communications Unit 

Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship