Education in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Since joining GPE in 2012, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has increased the primary school completion rate from 29% to 70%. Still, many students enrolled in primary school do not complete it, and around one-in-five of primary age children are out of school.

For those in school, 73% are not proficient in reading and 81% are not proficient in math. To unlock large-scale change, DRC is working with GPE and other partners to improve the quality of teachers and teaching.

Better trained and supported teachers – and an increase in the number of female teachers – are expected to enhance the learning environment, boost student performance, and create a more resilient education system.

The DRC aims to improve teachers’ mastery of disciplinary content as well as their ability to support vulnerable students. Additional measures to upgrade the profession include merit-based teacher recruitment, a quality assurance system, and improved social protections to support teacher retirement.

The government and partners are also improving infrastructure and equipment to make schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo a better place for teachers to work and for students to learn.

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting:

• The Coalition Nationale de l'éducation pour tous en République Démocratique du Congo (CONEPT DRC) for the 2020-2023 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).
• The Centre de Recherche sur l'Anti-Corruption for the 2022-2024 period.
• The Adolescent Mothers’ Education Initiative (AMEI) led by World Vision UK for the 2021-2024 period.

Learn more

• Democratic Republic of Congo is part of the KIX Africa 21 regional hub.
• KIX research projects:
• Using data for improving education equity and inclusion – MICS-EAGLE
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Teacher and student education for Primary Schools—STEPS
• The Forum of African Women Educationalists’ gender-sensitive school model as an innovative response to the challenge of gender equality
• Strengthening Bilingual and Multilingual Learning Systems in Francophone Africa
• Improving Knowledge on Gender Norms to Promote Gender Equality in Schools in Africa
• Observatory on COVID-19 Responses in Educational Systems in Africa