This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the national education system in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with a focus on basic education and fundamental learning. Since the 2016 reforms, including the introduction of free basic education, primary school attendance has become nearly universal, with a gross enrollment rate exceeding 100%. However, late entry and high repetition rates result in a net enrollment rate of 69%.

Despite progress in school enrollment, the overall quality of education remains low due to insufficient funding, inadequate infrastructure, overcrowded classes, lack of professional development for teachers, and delays or non-payment of teachers' salaries. Efforts to improve basic language learning have shown some progress, with the implementation of a national reading roadmap and performance standards for reading in French and national languages. However, a 2019 assessment found that 73% of students did not reach minimum proficiency levels by the end of primary school.

The study highlights the gap between the education vision and actual school performance, calling for reforms in teaching, leadership, supervision, and parental engagement. Positive examples in some schools demonstrate potential for improvement.

The main recommendations include providing the necessary resources to the education system and schools, strengthening in-service training for teachers and conducting regular inspections at the school level, clarifying and disseminating the vision of education, and producing curriculum-compliant teaching materials in local languages.