A multi-stakeholder consultation workshop was held on Wednesday, July 28, 2022, in the conference room of the Horizon Hotel in Bukavu, bringing together 41 participants, including representatives of the Ministry of Education, parents associations, teachers unions, education experts, and NGOs.

Organized by CERC as part of the Students Acting for Accountability and Quality of Education in DRC project, the workshop’s purpose was to review the CERC’s policies, programs, and curricula related to transparency, integrity, and anti-corruption in secondary schools.

At the end of this workshop, a memorandum of understanding for integrating integrity clubs in all secondary schools in South Kivu has been signed between the Ministry of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education through the Provincial Directorate of Education of South Kivu 1 and CERC.

The “Students Acting for Accountability and Quality of Education in DRC” project is a 30-month program funded by the Global Partnership for Education and implemented in six municipalities in Kinshasa and six municipalities in South Kivu by CERC.

To ensure that the Democratic Republic of Congo has accountable schools that can provide quality and inclusive education to students, the project plans to ensure that:

• By the end of 2024, 50 senior education officials, 6 civil society organizations, and 10 parliamentarians are working closely with CERC to incorporate anti-corruption measures and the promotion of accountability in the education sector;
• By the end of the project, 2250 students (ages 14-19) are engaged and supported to become active agents of positive change by advocating for anti-corruption behavior and the promotion of accountability and to demand that education reforms meet their needs;
• By the end of the project, 150 secondary schools support the incorporation of integrity clubs to ensure the long-term sustainability of anti-corruption and accountability efforts in the education sector;
• Advocacy and student-led campaigns create broader support and demand for anti-corruption measures and the promotion of transparency in the education sector.