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🇨🇩 DR Congo /Culture & Society

School year begins slowly in Kinshasa amid financial difficulties

From Radio Okapi · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Teachers and administrative staff attended the first day of the school year at schools visited in Kinshasa, but student attendance remained low.
  • Parents cited financial difficulties, including the cost of school supplies, as a factor slowing the return to classrooms.
  • Private schools recorded stronger attendance than some public schools, where students were expected to return throughout the first week.

Teachers and administrative staff were ready for the first day of school in Kinshasa, but many classrooms remained sparsely occupied. At one public primary school, an instructor said only about 15 pupils had arrived that morning.

The slow start reflected the financial pressure facing families. Many parents said they were struggling to buy school supplies for their children, contributing to a gradual return to classes.

The calendar is being followed. It was planned for the children to return on September 1. The teachers and everyone else are here, but the start is too slow: this morning, we recorded only about 15 pupils.

— Teacher at EP Barumbu IThe teacher described the low attendance at the public school’s opening day.

At EP Barumbu I, teachers began lessons in line with the official calendar. Private schools appeared to attract more students on the opening day than some public schools, where attendance was expected to build over the course of the first week.

At Catholic Cardinal Etsou College, staff were also present and students urged their classmates to return. One pupil said the first lessons were especially important and encouraged others to attend.

You just have to come, because you never know. The lessons that begin at the start are really the most important.

— Student at Cardinal Etsou CollegeThe student urged classmates to return to school promptly.
About this summary

Originally published by Radio Okapi in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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