Kinshasa/Lukunga: Tony Mwaba concludes his moral rearmament series with school heads, an ending that augurs a better tomorrow

The Minister of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST), Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, concluded his series of sessions on moral education and moral re-education with the heads of accredited public and private schools on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, at the Gombe I Institute in the Kinshasa/Lukunga educational province. The goal remains the same: to eradicate all forms of anti-values in schools.

For his fifth and final stop, Minister Tony Mwaba began by highlighting the significance of his initiative, which allowed him to visit all five educational provinces of the city of Kinshasa.

"This morning, I am acting like a general who has come to speak to his troops on the front lines. We made a point of holding these working sessions before the end of the holidays to prepare for a better 2023–2024 school year. I have not come to speak to teachers or union members, but to the heads of public and private schools. If you are the head of a union, leave the school! We cannot tolerate rebellion in the education sector. This face-to-face meeting is a final warning," declared the head of the EPST.

The minister reminded school principals that they represent the authority—that is, the governing body—and therefore automatically stand with the government and have no right to go on strike.

"September 4 is the first day of school. It is the school principal who must be the first to open the school doors. He must set an example," he said.

Professor Tony Mwaba continued his remarks by recommending to school principals the ministry’s handbook, which outlines official instructions, including holding educational meetings with students, preparing the school year budget, conducting health and environmental inspections of the school, and strictly adhering to the school calendar.

The head of the EPST specified that the Kinshasa/Lukunga educational province is the stronghold of the fight against anti-values because, he said, it was in Lukunga—specifically in Gombe—that they waged a major battle against those who resisted. He then listed the bad practices plaguing this jurisdiction, notably: lack of knowledge regarding the framework law; failure to verify teachers’ credentials; non-enforcement of measures taken by authorities to combat anti-values; failure to adhere to educational curricula; promotion to the next grade contingent on payment of school fees; fictitious grade announcements, especially in private schools; tribalism and nepotism; the monetization of enrollment; poorly maintained infrastructure; school fairs; schools operating without official authorization; attempts to manipulate lab results and monitor the State Exam; the commodification of certain schools turned into shops by school administrators; and the illegal collection of the free education subsidy.

"These things have been told to you to spur you toward change. You have heard the instructions; return to your schools to carry them out! Ladies and gentlemen, what we are asking of you is to do your job, nothing but your job. We will be watching very closely this year," the head of the EPST emphasized.

The minister called on school principals to report any cases of abuse, including provincial authorities who interfere with their work, by calling 0840018006 or the toll-free number 178 "Allô École," two contact numbers managed by the Call Center of the Ministry’s Communication Management Directorate (DGC).

Professor Tony Mwaba also commended the PROVED of Kinshasa/Lukunga, which followed suit by launching the "Zero Anti-Values" campaign in its educational province—an initiative that led to the closure of several non-viable schools and the suspension of administrators who resist the relentless fight against malpractices.

To combine business with pleasure, the Secretary General of the EPST, Christine Nepa Nepa Kabala, accompanied by the Inspector General of the EPST, the National Director of DINACOPE, and provincial authorities, presented a trophy to the head of the EPST, Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, as a way of thanking him for all his efforts in revitalizing the sub-sector and ensuring the sustainability of free public primary education in the DRC.

This ceremony, which marks a successful conclusion to the minister’s tour of the various educational provinces of the city of Kinshasa, also heralds a new approach to school management. The next series of face-to-face meetings will this time involve school principals from different administrative provinces across the country.

Christian BELLA