Fatshimetrie: Open and Distance Education in the DRC
The Higher and University Education sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo is going through a pivotal period marked by reforms aimed at modernizing and diversifying teaching methods. With this in mind, the Ministry of Higher and University Education, in collaboration with UNESCO, recently organized a round table dedicated to open and distance education (EOD), under the theme “Issues, challenges and perspectives” . This event brought together various stakeholders from the education sector with the aim of defining effective strategies for the implementation of ODL across the country.
The main objective of this meeting was to identify the obstacles and opportunities linked to distance education in the DRC, while seeking innovative solutions to overcome them. The speakers underlined the importance of putting in place clear standards to guarantee the quality and recognition of diplomas awarded within the framework of the EOD. Furthermore, they highlighted the challenges related to access to technological infrastructure, such as electricity and the internet, as well as the need to train teachers in new teaching methods adapted to distance learning.
Florent Mulumba, Chief of Staff of the Minister of ESU, underlined the government’s commitment to promoting open and distance education as a means of democratizing access to higher education. He called for increased support from all stakeholders involved to transform this project into a concrete reality accessible to all Congolese learners.
For his part, Thierry Abankwi, Director Head of Department of the Department of Open and Distance Education, highlighted the lack of an overall national strategy to supervise and promote ODL in the DRC. He insisted on the importance of coordinating existing initiatives and directing them towards common objectives to guarantee the success of this innovative teaching method.
The intervention of the UNESCO representative in the DRC, Dr Isaias Barreto da Rosa, highlighted the crucial role of distance education in meeting the educational needs of a diverse and dispersed population on the Congolese territory. He stressed that ODL is not only a response to the health crisis, but that it is a sustainable solution to improve access to education for all.
In conclusion, the round table on open and distance education in the DRC made it possible to reaffirm the commitment of national and international actors to support the establishment of an effective national strategy to promote this innovative teaching method. By working together to address current challenges, the DRC can pave the way for more inclusive and accessible education for all, thereby contributing to the country’s social and economic development.