Teachers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are at the heart of the news with the recent resolutions taken by the Government and the Inter-union of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education (EPST) to improve their socio-professional conditions. At the close of the meeting of the Joint Government-Union Commission, various priority actions were announced for the 2024 budget year.
Among these actions, we find measures such as salary increases, mechanization and readjustment of the free bonus for primary school teachers, as well as initiatives aimed at resolving payment problems concerning various categories of teachers. These decisions were taken with the aim of improving the status of teachers and avoiding any movement of social discontent.
Godefroid Matondo, spokesperson for the EPST teachers’ inter-union, underlined the importance of these concerted actions between the two parties. He insisted on respecting the commitments made during these meetings to guarantee better stability in the education sector in the DRC.
The Minister of EPST, Tony Mwamba, pledged to closely monitor the implementation of these measures and to collaborate with the Ministry of Budget and Finance to ensure their implementation as soon as possible. These initiatives follow constructive exchanges between the Government and teachers’ unions, thus highlighting the importance of consultation in improving the working and living conditions of teachers.
These decisions mark a significant step forward in the promotion of the teaching profession in the DRC and underline the importance given to education in the country. It is essential to continue to support and promote the education sector, as teachers play a key role in the training of future generations and in the socio-economic development of the country.