The term was also used to describe the growing native middle class in the Belgian Congo (the modern-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) between the latter part of World War II and the independence of the colony in 1960. Most "évolué"s emerged from the Congolese who filled skilled positions (such as clerks and nurses) made available by the economic boom in the country following the war. Colonial administrators defined an "évolué" as "a man having broken social ties with his group, having entered another system of motivations, another system of values." While there were no universal criteria for determining "évolué" status, it was generally accepted that one would have "a good knowledge of French, adhere to Christianity, and have some form of post-primary education."