Schools open in DR Congo amid Ebola scare and bankrupt parents

As Ebola concerns continue to hound some parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Schools in the country have reopened bust most will operate under Strict Health Protocols, especially in Ituri, the hotspot of the disease.

As the 2026-2027 school year begins​ in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), authorities in Ituri Province are enforcing heightened surveillance amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak.

​Some of the High-risk zones​, among them Bunia, Nizi, Irumu 2 ​ and Mambasa 3​, where community deaths persist, will ​be strictly subjected to mandatory handwashing stations, temperature screening, and rapid alert systems installed with humanitarian partner support.

​The Ituri 1 Education Director Yvon​ne Mouke confirms ​that all schools ​in the area will stay open by default​.

​”The Schools must open first. Only when we see an illness problem in a school ​then we can activate the option of distance learning.”

​DR Congo authorities insist that blanket closures are off the table​.

On the other hand, remote learning kicks in only where suspected cases emerge,​ therefore balancing safety with continuity.

Yet parental anxiety lingers, with many still reluctant to send ​their children to class.

​So far, the stakes in DR Congo spell out 5,945 ​Ebola cases, ​with over 2,862 deaths recorded ​as of now.

In yet another development, schools opening in DRC are met with cold stares among parents who complain lack of money.

With the 2026–2027 school year starting across the DRC in the first week of September, the city of Goma, under AFC/M23 administration since January 2025, is experiencing one of its quietest back-to-school seasons in recent memory.

It is being reported that while essential goods were available, buyers were absent, and parents were willing to explain precisely why.

“With the school year starting, I can see it’s not going to work,” one Goma mother told the local media.

“With the current situation, we honestly have no money to buy school supplies. Until now, I have bought nothing.” Her words reflect a widespread reality.

For months, Goma’s economy has been operating at a reduced pace: banking services disrupted, formal employment scarce, cross-border trade constrained, and the purchasing power of ordinary families steadily eroded by a combination of inflation, uncertainty, and the structural consequences of AFC/M23 governance replacing the Congolese state’s administrative and commercial infrastructure.

The vendors who have stocked up for the back-to-school rush are among the most directly affected by the collapse in purchasing power.

At Virunga market, uniform sellers Solange Ananga Nzigire and Kambale Nzanzu Issemwami described sales as far below normal, with the number of customers not improving and declining compared to previous years.

“Sales are very weak,” one vendor said. The contrast is stark: the goods families need is physically present and visible on every stall. The money to buy them is not. That gap between supply and demand that cannot afford it is the economic story of Goma in August 2026.