AFRICA/DR CONGO - Millions of children still without basic education

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - Access to primary education in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is still very precarious, with more than 7 million children across the country who do not attend school despite a government decision in 2010 to ensure 'free primary school education. The measure, however, covers the entire country except the capital, Kinshasa, and the city of Lubumbashi. A recent study carried out by the Government of the DRC along with the UK Department for International Development and UNICEF, showed that 25% of children in the primary school age group and 60% of adolescents are not enrolled. In addition, since 1960, the government has not committed itself to increasing the schools and building new institutions. In Kinshasa, for example, public schools are much less numerous than private ones: 29% against 71%, is what is read in a statement on behalf of the SOS NGO Kinshasa. There is great concern for the shortage of teachers in public schools. As far as primary schools are concerned the national average is 1 teacher for every 37 pupils, but in the most marginalized and rural areas students may be 100 for each class. Another problem is the use of school land territory by privates, especially in urban areas. Many public schools are in deplorable conditions, there are no desks or blackboards, and in some cases, children sit on the floor. The country still struggles to overcome the effects of the war raged between 1996 and 2003, aggravated by continuing violence in the eastern part of the country and decades of corruption and misrule. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 15/11/2011)