Bunia, July 20th, 2025 (CPA) – More than 4,000 pupils in the 8th school year were counted as absent from the national selective and orientation test in a jurisdiction in the province of Ituri, north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the CPA learned on Saturday from a school source. « Approximately 4,580 students in the 8th school year were recorded as absent from the National Selection and Orientation Test for Academic and Professional Education (TENASOSP), which took place on July 17th and 18th, 2025, out of 31,978 candidates registered in the Ituri 1 educational province. So we have 27,398, including 14,232 girls, who showed up, representing a loss of 15%, » said Yvon Muke Abwasel, director of this educational entity. He added: « This school loss is a result of the security situation that prevailed at the last minute in the two sub-divisions; Djugu 1 and Nizi. With the recent events [clashes between the armed forces and Thomas Lubanga’s militia], many students were panicked, as were their parents. Many children found themselves in situations where they could not take the exams. »
Yvon Muke Abwasel suggested that for those children who missed these exams, unfortunately it is a wasted year for them, especially since only children who have passed the TENASOSP exams are admitted to the next grade, which is the first year of secondary school. 27,398 candidates came from 608 schools spread across 99 centers. The Ituri 1 educational province comprises three territories, namely Djugu, Mambasa, Irumu, the city of Bunia and the center of Kampala (Uganda), it is emphasized. ACP/