Transforming the Education Sector for Better Outcomes and Results (TRESOR)

The Republic of Congo (RoC) is a lower-middle-income, oil-dependent country with a population of about 6.1 million in 2023 and a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of US1,504.70 dollars in 2022. Around 58 percent of the population lives in urban areas and 47 percent is under 18 years of age. Almost two-thirds of the land is covered by tropical forests and less than one-third is arable, although 60 percent of the population is engaged in agriculture. The economy is dominated by the oil sector, which accounts for more than half of the GDP and 80 percent of exports. The global oil price shock between 2014 and 2016 plunged the economy into recession, with real GDP declining by 4.6 percent per year between 2015 and 2019. This was further exacerbated by the sharp decline in economic activity and global demand for oil occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown. The country recently returned to debt sustainability, albeit it is still in debt distress. Debt sustainability remains highly sensitive to oil prices. Under the National Development Plan (NDP, 2022-2026), the RoC has expressed its commitment to supporting investments in human capital to provide the country with a skilled workforce. The vision for the education sector is described in the Education Sector Strategy (ESS, 2021-2030), which aims to provide at least 10 years of basic education6 to all children, as planned by law. These ambitions are reinforced in the Government’s Etats Généraux8 report, which outlines detailed plans for a transformed education system by 2030. Further, the President of the RoC declared 2024 to be the Year of Youth, with a focus on supporting youth by helping them to develop job-relevant skills and providing them with opportunities to access high-quality employment.