School in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The responsible national education ministry (EDU-NC) organizes preschool, primary school, and secondary school. The administration operates through 60 education provinces within 26 administrative provinces. At provincial level, the provincial representative of the ministry (PROVED) acts on its behalf, the certifying-examinations body (IPP) is responsible for certified examinations, and the salary and allowance payment directorate (DIPROCOPE) manages the payment of salaries and allowances for teachers and other staff. The General Inspectorate oversees quality, compliance, inspections, teacher training, and inclusive and special-education provision. Preschool usually lasts three years and prepares children for school through social, psychomotor, and early cognitive development. Access depends heavily on local provision and funding; a uniform nationwide entitlement to free preschool has not been established. Compulsory basic education lasts eight years. Primary school has six grades and usually runs from ages six to eleven. It ends with the national primary school leaving examination (ENAFEP). Passing it allows entry to the terminal cycle of basic education (Cycle Terminal de l’Éducation de Base, CTEB), which comprises grades 7 and 8 and is usually attended at ages twelve to thirteen. The CTEB ends with the national selection and placement test (TENASOSP). Secondary school is divided into general, technical, and vocational pathways. General and technical education usually last four years, while vocational secondary education usually lasts three years. The secondary-school leaving examination leading to the state diploma (EXETAT) in the general, technical, and vocational pathways leads to a state diploma that is recognized nationwide and allows access to work or further study. Higher education is no longer part of the school system. Public primary school has been free of charge nationwide since 2019. Under the 2025 state regulation, public primary schools may not charge parent fees; the state finances their operations, salaries, and allowances. This does not establish a uniform cost rule for private and faith-based schools. Access and teaching quality differ between urban and rural areas and between education provinces. A lack of classrooms, teachers, learning materials, qualified staff, water, sanitation, and hygiene makes school attendance more difficult. Poverty, school failure, child labor, early marriage or pregnancy, gender-based violence, and inadequate menstrual supplies affect girls’ access particularly severely. Children with disabilities also face stigma, a lack of adapted spaces and materials, and too few trained teachers. State education policy promotes inclusive education. The General Inspectorate also supports special-education training and supervision, while programmes such as the inclusive-education programme (PEQIP) promote adapted classrooms and materials. However, there is insufficient evidence of a separate, nationwide special-school pathway. In crises, temporary learning spaces, catch-up classes, and radio and distance learning are used; these arrangements secure education as a regular route to a recognized qualification only when formal recognition exists. The official school calendar is set annually; a calendar for 2026–2027 has been published. Conflict, displacement, flooding, and school closures can alter local arrangements. Particularly in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 1,000 schools were affected in 2024, impairing the education of more than 900,000 students. Rights include education, non-discrimination, participation, freedom of expression, and a safe, healthy, and dignified learning environment. Protection committees may involve teachers, parents, students, and the wider community. Reports of physical, psychological, or sexual violence can be made to the school leadership, the General Inspectorate, or the EDU-NC; the 178 hotline is also available. Available education data show substantial losses along the education pathway. Modeled UIS data for 2024 report completion rates of 61.3 percent for primary education, 50.4 percent for lower secondary education, and 22.5 percent for upper secondary education. For 2023, modeled non-attendance rates are reported as 17 percent in primary education, 14 percent in lower secondary education, and 27 percent in upper secondary education. UNICEF also reports that only about 62 percent of enrolled children complete primary school and that 84 percent of children in grade 4 could not correctly read a simple French text. These figures come from different methods and points in time and are not directly comparable.