Promoting Teacher Retention in the Republic of the Congo: Case Study of Primary Schools

Teacher retention is a recurrent challenge, acutely observed in the primary schools sector of the Republic of the Congo. The goal of this study was to explore root factors traceable to teacher attrition in the context of the educative industry of the Republic of the Congo, and establish eventual new approaches to primary schools teachers’ retention. Findings were generated through a multi-case approach, constituted of thirty participants, purposefully selected within their natural settings namely: the Brazzaville biggest primary schools teacher training college, the three primary school districts and the department of teaching staff planning and management of the ministry of primary, secondary education and literacy. Data were collected via individual and focus groups semi-structured interviews. Research findings suggest that majority of teachers come accidentally into the teaching industry, and all of them are into the primary education sector for having failed to pass the entry test to secondary education teacher training college. The findings also point out intrinsic factors as primarily essential to teacher turnover and attrition, and government has no provision for regulating teacher retention in all departments of education; however, the ongoing approach of ‘’ teacher recruitment policy and continuous in-service training’’ used as an alternative to teacher retention has proved to be ineffective. The study key recommendations are that the government should raise a monitoring, assessment and evaluation policy to promote education in the primary schools sector as an important job for society and systematically regulate measures to teacher retention. Keywords: Teacher attrition & retention; Primary schools; Teacher shortage; Teaching industry; Teaching profession; Republic of the Congo.