School canteens in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a step towards education and the fight against school dropouts
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has just taken an important step in the field of education by adopting the road map for the establishment of school canteens. Presented during the Council of Ministers on Friday October 27, 2023 by the Minister of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education (EPST), Tony Mwaba, this initiative aims to strengthen and sustain free education in public primary schools.
The National School Feeding Program will be implemented gradually, with a pilot phase which will concern five educational provinces in the city of Kinshasa. These school canteens will benefit tens of thousands of students and teachers, with the participation of 11 schools selected for this phase. The selection criteria for pilot schools took into account aspects such as their peripheral location, the presence of military or police camps, as well as small numbers.
This decision follows the instruction given by President Félix Tshisekedi during the 116th meeting of the Council of Ministers. By setting up these school canteens, the Congolese government aims to reduce the school dropout rate and school dropout, in order to improve attendance and retention of students in school. It is indeed proven that malnutrition and hunger have a negative impact on children’s learning abilities.
This National School Feeding Program is also a response to the challenges faced by Congolese families, often experiencing food insecurity. School canteens will not only provide nutritious meals to students, but also relieve parents by offering them significant help to meet their children’s dietary needs.
Beyond their nutritional dimension, school canteens will also help to promote community living and social inclusion. By sharing a meal together, students will have the opportunity to build relationships, exchange ideas and strengthen their sense of belonging to a school community. Furthermore, this measure could also encourage children to attend school more regularly, knowing that they will be guaranteed a meal.
The establishment of school canteens in the Democratic Republic of Congo is therefore a significant step forward in the education sector. It demonstrates the Congolese government’s desire to do everything possible to offer Congolese children the best conditions for learning and development. Let us hope that this initiative will be successful and that it will serve as an example for other countries facing the same challenges..
AGNES KAYEMBE
Note: This article is an original article inspired by current events on the subject. Any resemblance to existing articles is purely coincidental.