Virtual School in the DRC: Kisangani, the Kivus, the Kasaï, and the Year of the Examen d’État

By Brendaliz Chelangat, Head of Academics · October 2026 · 9 min read

Most writing about international schooling in the DRC is about two places: Kinshasa, which has the American school, the French lycée and the Belgian school, and the cobalt belt around Kolwezi, which has the mining companies and almost no schools to match. We have written about both. This guide is about the rest of a very large country, where most Congolese families live: Kisangani on the river, Goma and Bukavu in the Kivus, Mbuji-Mayi and Kananga in the Kasaï, and Matadi on the way to the sea. It looks at the clock, the language and the final years of secondary school.

The map beyond the capital and the copper

Kisangani is the great river city of the north-east. Goma and Bukavu, on the shores of Lake Kivu, have long hosted one of the largest humanitarian and UN presences in Africa, alongside traders and families with links across the borders with Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. Mbuji-Mayi is the diamond city of the Kasaï. Matadi is the country’s main seaport, on the road from Kinshasa to the Atlantic. Each has Congolese schools, many of them run by the churches and well regarded. Almost none offers an English-medium international curriculum, and in the east, conditions can change quickly, which makes a school that does not depend on a building more useful than it sounds. For families in these cities the traditional answer has been boarding in Kinshasa, in a neighbouring country or in Belgium.

A clock that favours the east

The DRC spans two time zones, and neither observes daylight saving. Kinshasa, Matadi and the west run on West Africa Time, two hours behind our Nairobi teaching base. Kisangani, the Kivus, the Kasaï and the south-east run on Central Africa Time, just one hour behind. So a 4pm class in Goma or Mbuji-Mayi is 5pm in Nairobi, while the same class in Kinshasa is 6pm for our teacher. Both work, and both are fixed all year. In the east there is a second advantage: Swahili is widely spoken there, as it is by our teachers in Nairobi. For families with ties to Rwanda, Uganda or Kenya, the timetable rarely needs any adjustment at all.

The Examen d’État, and running two routes

Congolese secondary school is taught in French and ends with the Examen d’État, which leads to the Diplôme d’État and Congolese university entry. That route is the family’s anchor, and it should stay so. An international track runs beside it: Cambridge IGCSE subjects in the middle secondary years, then two or three A Levels or AP courses chosen for the target university, with Cambridge French taught alongside the English-medium subjects so Belgian and French routes stay open. The final year before the Examen d’État is heavy, so we plan the Cambridge calendar to avoid clashes rather than add to them. Students who start the international subjects early, around the middle years of secondary, carry the extra load far more comfortably in the final year.

The legal position, stated plainly

The loi-cadre of 2014 guarantees notable parental liberties, including the freedom of parents to choose the type of education corresponding to their convictions. That is not a home-education right, and private establishments in the DRC require agrément. Smartious is not an agréé Congolese establishment, so we work alongside a Congolese school, which continues its own national track unchanged. A proposal to modify the loi-cadre was tabled in April 2026; it is pending, not law. A family whose plans depend on the legal position should confirm it with the ministry responsible for national education. We say this at admissions because a careless reading of the liberties clause could mislead a family.

Examinations and universities

Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel examinations are sat at authorised exam centres, which families book. Centres are confirmed per family, per session: Kinshasa is checked first, and for the east, regional options are worth reviewing given the distances. At home, the University of Kinshasa, the University of Lubumbashi and the Université Catholique du Congo admit on the national route, with foreign qualifications going through equivalence procedures confirmed per institution. Abroad, Belgium and France assess A Levels through their own equivalence routes, UCAS reads them natively, and for eastern families the universities of Kampala, Kigali and Nairobi are often closer than Kinshasa. Recorded lessons also mean a student in the east does not lose a term if travel or connectivity is disrupted.

Beyond Kinshasa and the cobalt belt, the DRC is a vast country of capable Congolese schools and almost no international provision. In the east, our clock is only an hour away and our teachers share Swahili. A live class alongside the national route, with French kept and the Examen d’État protected, adds an international record without a move. Fees start from USD 423/month for Primary. Book an assessment and tell us your province and your child’s class.

Frequently asked questions

What time are lessons in Goma or Kisangani?

The east of the DRC is one hour behind Nairobi all year, so a 4pm class there is 5pm for our teacher. Kinshasa is two hours behind. Every lesson is recorded.

Will my child have to give up the Examen d’État?

No. We work alongside a Congolese school, which keeps the national route and the Examen d’État, and we plan the Cambridge calendar around it.

Is Smartious an approved Congolese school?

No. Private establishments in the DRC require agrément, and Smartious is not an agréé Congolese establishment. We teach live alongside your child’s school.

Can my child keep French?

Yes. Cambridge French runs beside the English-medium subjects, so Belgian and French university routes stay open.

Next steps

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