The third pillar of En Classe’s work with schools focuses on additional teacher training and student leadership development. Most teachers in the DRC receive little training before they begin teaching, and as a result tend to resort to outdated and ineffective methods learned when they themselves were at school, such as rote learning.
To provide regular teacher training and workshops at zero cost to schools and parents, En Classe partners with the Association des Formateurs Educatifs du Congo (AFEC). Its workshops and seminars focus on new teaching methodologies specifically designed with the developing context in mind. Teachers learn how to engage students, move away from rote learning and towards deeper levels of understanding, and how to encourage teamwork in the classroom. The workshops run on weekends and include free lunch and transportation to and from the location. For students, En Classe partners with ELENGE to provide a leadership training program run by the En Classe management team. This aims to improve students’ leadership and teamwork skills, neither of which are taught in the school curriculum.
