Kinshasa: Tony Mwaba pledges to improve learning conditions for pupils

This decision has been welcomed by the parents’ association at Lisanga Elementary School in the Gombe district. The unregulated construction work on the school grounds has been suspended by the Ministry of Urban Planning and Housing, thanks to the leadership of the Minister of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST), Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, who conducted an inspection visit to the school on Saturday, January 14, 2023. The hands-on leader also visited Shaumba High School and E.P.A. 2 Gombe to inquire about the students’ learning conditions.

Upon arriving at the Bokeleale Institute, the first stop on his tour, the EPST Minister visited the buildings of Lisanga Primary School. Professor Tony Mwaba was unpleasantly surprised to find that learning conditions had deteriorated due to the sale of school spaces for profit.

Although these spaces belong to the Church of Christ in Congo, they have been ceded to Lebanese merchants who have erected a wall there and are continuing with other unauthorized construction, resulting in the obstruction of drainage channels and the septic tank. There is also a lack of lighting and ventilation in the classrooms, exposing students to suffocating conditions. These conditions have led some parents to keep their children home from school.

On site, Professor Tony Mwaba encountered the Parents’ Committee, who were demonstrating with chants to demand his urgent intervention. They explained the school’s situation to him: the school has been stripped of its assets by the authorities of the Church of Christ in Congo, who sold off a large portion of Lisanga Primary School, leaving the students in a difficult situation. On the spot, the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, who is committed to improving learning conditions, announced the decision to suspend the construction work, which was taken by the relevant authorities at his behest.

"Even if the infrastructure belongs to the developer, there are conditions for the school’s viability that every developer must respect. The nature and scale of the construction, as clearly described, demonstrate that there will be serious problems. As we speak, there is already a decision to suspend the work issued by the Department of Urban Planning and Housing. And we have deployed law enforcement officers at this school to ensure compliance with this decision," stated Professor Tony Mwaba.

Without delay, the head of the EPST promised to invite the school administrators, the Parent Committee, the buyers of the land where the 15m/75m ramp is being built, and church officials to his office to discuss and explore solutions aimed at preserving the school’s viability and the students’ learning conditions.

The minister took the same opportunity to urge parents to send their children back to school starting Wednesday, January 18, especially those who had kept them home due to this situation.

The second stop on the minister’s tour was Shaumba High School. There, too, Professor Tony Mwaba observed the sale of the school’s easement, where a buyer had constructed a building to the detriment of parents who lack parking, causing massive traffic jams.

Finally, the Minister of EPST visited E.P.A. 2 Gombe, within the grounds of the Athénée de la Gombe, where a private school has built a soccer field on state-owned land and barred children from public schools from accessing it. On site, he issued firm instructions that appropriate solutions be found.

Christian BELLA