Figure 1.-- This is a kindergartern class in the Lake Kivu (eastern Congo) ara during the 1957-58 school childre, We see both Belgian and Congolese children as well as we thin some south Asian children. The boys are variously dressed, including bob-front and H-bar shorts. One boy wears a suit. The gurls wear dresses. Put your cursor on the image to see the rest of the class.

We have only limited chronolological information on Congolese colonia schools at this time. We do not know, for example, when Congolese children were allowed to attend classes with Belgian children. We have some information on the schols after World War II. We note Congolese children attending classes with Belgian children during the 1950s (figure 1). In the period after World War II, about 10 percent of Congolese children were attending primary school, compared to just 3 percent in neighboring French Equatorial Africa. This was one of the largest missionary school efforts outside of China. The rate of primary school attendance in the Congo was suprisingly one of the highest in Africa, One source claims that it reached 56 percent (1959). This high attendance rate, however, is misleading. Most of the children in primary schools only attednded for the first 2 years. Less than 10 percent of the children completed the 6-year primary program--but this was relatively high by African standards at the time. Only a few Congolese children advanced to the secondary level, let along to university studies. Belgian officials finally opened two universities (mid-1950s). At the time of independence, however, almost no Congolese students had university degrees. The colony was as a result almost totally unprepared for independence.

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Created: 11:55 PM 4/28/2012
Last updated: 11:55 PM 4/28/2012