The national primary school leaving exam (ENAFEP) 2023 edition took place this Thursday, June 1 in the Kasaï Central 1 educational province in the DRC. This year, 62,107 finalists, including 29,233 girls, took part in these tests, which ended on June 2. The Vice-Governor of the Province of Kasai Central, Martin Makita Nfuamba, gave the starting signal to the Diakaja primary school, located in the commune of Katoka, city of Kananga, in the presence of the political and administrative authorities of the region.
In his speech, the Vice-Governor of the province thanked President Félix Tshisekedi for his commitment to education in the DRC, in particular his action for the effectiveness of free basic education. According to him, this measure contributes to the education of children, regardless of social class or wealth. He recalled that for the year 2022, at least 58,809 primary school finalists had taken part in the national exam, an increase of 3,298 candidates this year.
The DRC has put in place policies to strengthen the education sector in the country. However, the question of the quality of teaching remains, with a low pass rate in examinations and a level of literacy that is still too low. Putting in place laws to improve teaching conditions and teacher training is an important step, but pursuing actions to increase the quality and access to education remain significant challenges for the Congolese government. This will in particular increase the chances of success of students in national exams such as ENAFEP and give it a broader scope.
Education is a major development issue for the DRC and the Congolese government must continue its efforts in this area so that Congolese children benefit from a quality education and to strengthen the country’s future.