Workshop on education for peace, development and living together: Tony Mwaba closes proceedings under the seal of rigor in the EPST sub-sector

The three-day workshop on peace education, development, and living together, held at the Nganda Center in the municipality of Kintambo, concluded successfully. The meeting, which brought together all Catholic school coordinators from across the country, resulted in appropriate proposals that will help the Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST) subsector achieve its expected outcomes. The minister in charge, Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, officially closed the proceedings. 

In his speech delivered for the occasion, Minister Tony Mwaba thanked the participants who had sacrificed their time to address real issues, particularly the problems plaguing the EPST subsector. Professor Tony Mwaba welcomed the recommendations formulated during the workshop and pledged to commit to their implementation.

“Have no doubt about my commitment to translating into action everything related to the implementation, at my level, of all the proposals, and even at the level of the staff under my authority,” he said.

Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi reiterated that he was appointed head of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to fulfill two main missions: consolidating and ensuring the sustainability of free public primary education and combating all forms of misconduct.

"As of today, free education is a reality, because it is no longer just a provision in the Constitution. It is being implemented on the ground. All that remains to be done is to seek to consolidate and ensure the sustainability of this reform through a number of supporting measures," said Professor Tony Mwaba.

The head of the EPST also emphasized that the specific agreement signed between the government of the Republic and the Catholic Church has not abolished free education, nor has it diminished the Minister’s role in the sub-sector. Consequently, he called on all coordinators of Catholic schools—who are all school administrators—to honor this commitment.

Regarding the fight against anti-values, Professor Tony Mwaba explained the necessity of this approach, which involves tracking down all those who turned the EPST into a commercial sector—actors who had no calling to educate children but were driven by a desire to make money.

"People cannot come and mess around in a sector like this. We therefore need serious rigor, because education is the only wealth we can pass on to our children," the minister stated.

Drawing a parallel with the upcoming certification exams, the head of the EPST called on Catholic school coordinators to enforce the regulations during the State Exam and to encourage graduating students to work hard to achieve good results, steering clear of cheating, which is a negative value.

Echoing the Minister’s remarks, the Inspector General of the EPST emphasized the need to develop strategies to eradicate fraud and cheating within the EPST subsector.

"All those involved in fraud—supervisors, teachers, and students—must be severely punished to serve as an example to those who refuse to comply," said Jacques Odia Musungay.

Christian BELLA