Deputy Minister Aminata Namasia launches EXÉTAT 2023 out-of-session tests in Kinshasa

On behalf of Minister Tony Mwaba, Deputy Minister of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST) Aminata Namasia launched the 2023 special session of the State Exam at the Marie Immaculée School Complex in the municipality of Nsele on Monday, May 8, 2023. The first stage of these exams, which begins today with the essay, has registered 985,497 candidates this year, compared to 918,620 in 2022, of whom 43.6% are girls, spread across 2,827 testing centers throughout the country.

The first to speak at the ceremony was Charles Mbutamuntu Lwanga, Provincial Minister of Education for the City-Province of Kinshasa. In his remarks, he expressed his joy at the fact that the special session was launched in the capital by Deputy Minister Aminata Namasia, who personally represented Minister Tony Mwaba, who is currently on official business in London.

“We are heartened that you have come in person to launch these exams in Kinshasa under these particular circumstances, especially in the Plateau educational province where our children have experienced some disruptions due to conflicts that have disrupted their schooling. That is why we are deeply honored by your presence,” he stated.

The provincial Minister of Education also noted that Kinshasa has registered a significant number of participants this year, totaling 140,800 finalists.

Speaking next, the Deputy Minister of the EPST, Aminata Namasia, first thanked the President of the Republic for making education a priority in the social pact of his first five-year term. Aminata Namasia then urged the graduating students and all stakeholders involved in the 2023 State Exam to ensure the exams proceed smoothly.

"Extracurricular exams should be understood as an assessment of the knowledge and skills of all learners from preschool through the end of secondary school. I hope that the resulting scores will reflect the actual level achieved by each candidate. We therefore call on every stakeholder to exercise greater responsibility and strictly adhere to the general regulations of the State Examination," stated the Deputy Minister of EPST.

Aminata Namasia also noted that out-of-session exams are being disrupted in conflict zones, adversely affecting thousands of graduating students. The EPST’s second-in-command assured that every effort will be made to make up for these disruptions.

Immediately following her opening remarks, the Deputy Minister symbolically handed out exam materials to the graduating students and visited several classrooms, accompanied by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the EPST, the Provincial Minister of Education, the Inspector General of the EPST, and the National Director of DINACOPE, to encourage the students to achieve good results.

Christian BELLA