AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Catholic Bishops say “government has a responsibility to pay teachers a fair salary, but for the good of the pupils, teachers on strike must go back to work”

Kinshasa (Fides Service) - In Democratic Congo where the school year is threatened by a teachers strike, the Catholic Bishops have issued an appeal reminding the government of its duty to guarantee teachers a fair wage and urging teachers to go back to work so children will not lose the school year. “The government must shoulder its responsibilities” the Bishops wrote in an appeal dated 10 October. “But to ensure that children and teachers do not lose a year and waiting for the government to show it is in good faith before 20 October as promised by his excellency the President of the republic, the Church urges teachers to go back to work. The Church encourages teachers to give the authorities the benefit of the doubt since they have made promises as a first step towards meeting the teachers’ legitimate demands”.
The teachers went on strike on 5 September demanding higher wages. Parents have to pay a large part of teachers’ salaries. In fact the state wage for teachers in state schools and private schools varies between 12 and 28 Euro a month and payment is not always regular. The family makes up the difference.
Children in Congo could lose a year because according to UNESCO norms a year is not valid if teachers are on strike for 45 days or longer.
In some Catholic schools teachers have already gone back to work and lessons have resumed.
In Democratic Congo the Catholic Church runs 208 infant schools with 18,405 children, 7,859 primary schools with 2,246,304 pupils and 2,904 middle and high schools with 622,545 students. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/10/2005 righe 30 parole 353)