Title: The 2024 school year in Ituri province: Between expectations and challenges
The 2024 school year in Ituri province was marked by a timid start, with schools welcoming a limited number of students despite the presence of school heads and dedicated teachers. Tuungane primary school, located south of the center of Komanda, saw parents flock to register or collect their children’s files. This late start raised questions among parents, some doubting that classes would actually be held due to a recent strike called by the synergy of teachers’ unions in Congo.
The director of Wari primary school, Mosea Bomela Apolline, shared her concern about the low attendance rate of students despite a significant number of registrations. She emphasized that parents feared a general strike in Ituri, which led to some reluctance to send their children to school. However, she wants to point out that the teachers have responded and are providing supervision to the students, despite the difficulties encountered.
In this context, Pèlerin Loki, deputy headmaster of the national education and new citizenship subdivision of Irumu 1, calls on parents to send their children to school en masse, stressing the importance of respecting the school calendar for the current year. However, the teachers’ demand for a salary increase has caused tensions, with the latter demanding a significant increase in their income to ensure optimal teaching quality.
The strike declared by teachers from September 2, 2024, demanding an increase in their salary of 500 US dollars, has highlighted the difficulties facing the education community. The government has promised to add $36 to teachers’ salary envelope, but this measure is considered insufficient to meet the demands of education professionals.
In the face of these challenges, it appears essential to engage in constructive dialogue between the various education stakeholders in order to find sustainable solutions to ensure the proper functioning of the education system in Ituri province. This year’s school year highlights the challenges facing the education sector, but also the hopes and expectations related to the development of students and the improvement of teachers’ living conditions.