DRC’s free school policy under pressure as students return

Students returned to school in DR Congo on Monday after a six-month closure because of the coronavirus pandemic, with teacher strikes piling pressure on the government’s promise of free primary eduction. President Felix Tshisekedi took office early last year on the pledge, but questions persist over whether the country can afford the policy. Teacher unions in several provinces of the vast Central African country, where half of the 80 million…