Teachers unions in the Democratic Republic of Congo joined the country’s education ministry for a two day workshop in Kinshasa emphasising the importance of high quality education and teachers.
During what were known as “responsibility days” from the 24 to 25 of August, three member organisations of Education International (EI), the Centrale de l’Education Nationale et de la Recherche Scientifique(National Education and Scientific Research Confederation), the Fédération nationale des enseignants du Congo(the National Federation of Teachers - FENECO-UNTC) and the Syndicat des Enseignants du Congo(Congo teachers’ union), joined the Ministry for Primary and Secondary Education and Introduction to the New Citizenship to address important issues in the sector.
The event was centred on four themes:
- Do children have enough time to learn?
· Teaching support for pupils at risk of leaving school early
· Support for teachers and the tutoring of pupils
- What support and methods are needed to provide quality teaching?
· French/Congolese bilingualism in support of teaching quality
· Training the teachers in the use of community resources to create their own teaching materials
- How to check the performance of pupils and teachers?
· Appraising the performance of the teachers by involving parents and the community
· Using tools for an efficient and cost-effective appraisal
- Are the pupils and students appropriately educated to find a job?
· The agricultural sectors: example of curriculum reforms implemented
· The Quality Assurance Unit: interface between university and society
During the forum the participating unions and organisations were able to discover how each contributes to the education sector.