Millions of children in the Democratic Republic of Congo are returning to classrooms as the country’s new academic year begins under the strain of an Ebola outbreak, persistent conflict in the east and a standoff between the government and teachers.
The epidemic has spread across six provinces, leading authorities to adopt a three-tier education system. Schools in the highest-risk areas will move to limited remote learning, while those in lower-risk locations will remain open with varying health and safety protocols. In territories held by the AFC/M23 armed group, schools are also reopening under the movement’s local administration, although the government in Kinshasa continues to pay teachers’ salaries.
Teachers, however, remain split over the return to class. A major union is upholding its strike call and seeking salary increases, payment for unpaid staff, as well as better pension and health-insurance provisions. The school year will put the government’s ability to preserve children’s access to education to the test as it confronts simultaneous health, security and labour pressures.
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