Tony Mwaba gives the go-ahead for the State Examination procedures manual workshop

The Minister of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST), Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, launched the workshop to develop the State Examination procedures manual on Thursday, October 5, 2023. The event took place during a ceremony that brought together the Deputy General Inspectors (IGA) and the Provincial Chief Inspectors (IPP) from all 60 educational provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the RTEDUC meeting room, in the presence of the Secretary General of the EPST, Christine Nepa Nepa Kabala, and the Inspector General of the EPST, Jacques Odia Musungayi.

"Created in 1967 by Ordinance No. 67-250 of June 5, 1967, as a tool and instrument for the external assessment of academic achievement, the State Examination is now 56 years old. It has weathered many ups and downs that have highlighted its strengths but also revealed some concerns that need to be addressed to better chart the course for the future," said Minister Tony Mwaba.

The head of the EPST also noted that the various stages of the State Examination are not without their share of criticism—some well-founded, others fanciful—but all of which serve as warnings that cannot be ignored by those responsible for the sub-sector. This, according to the minister, justifies the purpose of this workshop, which will address issues related to the administration of these certification exams and review the recommendations made to the General Inspectorate of the EPST regarding educational assessment during the last Annual Performance Review (APR), in order to draw all necessary conclusions.

The procedures manual, which is at the heart of this three-day workshop, will be an innovation in the sub-sector aimed at formalizing the organization of the State Exam, as well as enabling stakeholders to address several challenges, particularly in managing deadlines, handling larger student numbers each year, the composition and drafting of test items in strict accordance with guidelines, the printing and packaging of test booklets, grading, and the publication of results.

Given the importance of the issues to be addressed, Professor Tony Mwaba called on his colleagues to formulate realistic recommendations aimed at bringing about lasting improvements to the State Examination institution.

Today’s ceremony coincided with Teachers’ Day, celebrated on October 5 each year. On this occasion, the Minister of EPST paid a heartfelt tribute to the country’s educators for their dedication to the education of young people and for the role they continue to play in the development of all Congolese, a guarantee of a united, strong, and prosperous Congo as envisioned by the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi.

Christian BELLA