Tag Archives: Democratic Republic of the Congo

According to collegesanduniversitiesinusa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has a long and complex educational history, with periods of progress and decline due to the political instability of the country. Prior to the country’s independence from Belgium in 1960, primary education in the DRC was largely limited to missionary schools run by Catholic and Protestant churches. Although secondary education was available in some urban areas, most Congolese children were unable to access it. In the early years after independence, the DRC government made education a priority and invested significantly in both primary and secondary schooling. This investment paid off as enrollment rates increased dramatically during this period. However, due to ongoing civil wars, these gains were not sustained over time and enrollment started to decline again from 1997 onwards. In recent years, the DRC has seen an increase in investment in educational infrastructure as well as efforts to improve quality across all levels. In 2009, the government launched a five-year national plan with a focus on increasing access to primary school for all children across the country. This plan has seen improvements in both school infrastructure and curriculum development, although much remains to be done before every Congolese child can access quality education. Despite these efforts however, there are still many challenges facing education in DRC today including limited resources for teachers’ salaries and materials; low teacher training standards; high drop-out rates; poor learning conditions; overcrowded classrooms; and gender disparities which mean girls are less likely than boys to attend school or complete their studies. To address these issues, further investments must be made into improving educational infrastructure as well as providing more resources for teachers and students alike if any meaningful progress is to be made towards providing quality education for all Congolese children. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has a long and complex history, having experienced periods of progress and decline due to political instability. In 2009, the DRC was at a crucial point in its history as it had just emerged from civil wars that had been raging since 1996. The war had caused major disruption to the country’s infrastructure and economy, with millions of people displaced and many lives lost. In 2009, the DRC was still recovering from this conflict but was beginning to make progress towards stability. The government had launched a five-year national plan that focused on increasing access to primary school for all children across the country. This plan saw improvements in both school infrastructure and curriculum development. Additionally, elections were held in 2006 for the first time since 1960 when the country gained independence from Belgium. The DRC is a vast country with immense natural resources; however, these resources have been largely untapped due to ongoing conflict and corruption. The mineral wealth of the region has been exploited by both foreign powers as well as local militias who have profited from smuggling minerals out of the country. This has exacerbated tensions between different ethnic groups within the region as well as between foreign powers vying for control over its resources. In terms of international relations, in 2009 the DRC was largely isolated with limited contact with other African countries or international organizations such as the United Nations (UN). This changed however following a visit by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in 2010 which saw an increased engagement with external actors such as donor countries who pledged financial support for reconstruction efforts in areas affected by conflict. Despite progress being made towards stability in 2009, there were still many challenges facing education in DRC including limited resources for teachers’ salaries and materials; low teacher training standards; high drop-out rates; poor learning conditions; overcrowded classrooms; and gender disparities which meant girls were less likely than boys to attend school or complete their studies. To address these issues, further investments must be made into improving educational infrastructure as well as providing more resources for teachers and students alike if any meaningful progress is to be made towards providing quality education for all Congolese children. Check internetsailors for Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2011.