Schools across the Democratic Republic of Congo reopened their doors Tuesday for a new academic year, Education Minister Raissa Malu announced.
The school year began nationwide, including in regions gripped by the country’s ongoing Ebola outbreak, Malu told reporters in Kinshasa.
“Some parts of our country continue to face insecurity and conflict, while others face the health risk linked to Ebola,” she said.
Face-to-face teaching will continue wherever health conditions permit, in line with recommended preventive measures, the minister said.
A lighter distance learning system could be introduced in higher-risk areas to preserve continuity of education, she added.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, has spread across 60 health zones in six provinces nationwide.
Confirmed cases have reached 6,100, including 2,950 deaths, according to a Health Ministry update released Tuesday.
Ituri province remains the epicenter of the crisis, even as roughly 31 million students return to classrooms this year.