To assess progress made since the 2022 Education Transformation Summit in New York, and to define strategies tailored to the specific challenges of the Central African sub-region, a regional forum on the transformation of the education system in Central Africa (FORTSEAC) was held in Douala, Cameroon, from 21 to 24 May 2025, under the auspices of UNESCO. This forum also identified effective solutions to address the shortage of qualified teachers and ensure their continuous professional development.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in collaboration with the Cameroonian government, Central Africa faces unequal access to education, exacerbated by a shortage and low qualifications of teachers. To achieve the goals of universal primary and secondary education, 15 million additional teachers should be hired in the region by 2030, according to UNESCO. At the regional forum on the transformation of the education system in Central Africa (FORTSEAC), held in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, from May 21 to 24, 2025, experts called for collective action, the integration of technology into the education system, and the training and professional development of teachers to ensure quality education.
“This forum resulted, as you may have noticed, in a Douala Declaration and a roadmap that will enable us to support countries in achieving their education objectives, including the achievement of SDG 4, particularly through the transformation of their education systems.”
Hilaire Mputu, Acting UNESCO Representative for Central Africa – Congo
According to World Bank studies, the teacher shortage in Central Africa is a chronic and multifactorial problem due to low investment in education, unattractive working conditions, a lack of training centers, rapid population growth, and conflicts and even political instability. According to World Bank and UNESCO estimates, approximately 72% of 10-year-old children in Central Africa are unable to read and understand an age-appropriate text. This situation underscores the urgent need to improve the quality of education and strengthen teacher skills.
“The transformation of the education system symposiums, taking into account the emergence of new needs, the emergence of new challenges, which education systems must face”
Hilaire Mputu, Acting UNESCO Representative for Central Africa – Congo
This regional forum on the transformation of the education system in Central Africa, organized around the theme: « Promoting the transformation of education in Central Africa: strengthening the central and catalytic role of teachers and educators » thus made it possible to assess the progress made since the 2022 Global Summit on Education Transformation in New York, and to define strategies adapted to the specific challenges of the sub-region. This is with a view to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on quality education by 2030.
