The correlation between education and economic development cannot be underestimated according to experts. Basic learning, particularly girls’ education, is the cornerstone of the future. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest form of education poverty at 89.4, exacerbated by COVID 19. The World Bank also estimates that Africa’s learning crises will cost the continent around USD 300 billion annually by 2030 if urgent action is not taken. The African Union Commission and its Member States in line with the African Union’s Year of Education 2024, reiterate their commitment to promoting equitable and universal access to education across Africa in order to achieve the continent’s inclusive, infrastructural, economic and social development.
The African continent accounts for 38 per cent of the world’s out-of-school children.Sub-Saharan Africa in particular, has the highest rates of school exclusion of any region in the world. More than a fifth of children aged between 6 and 11 do not go to school. This figure rises to a third of young people aged 12 to 14, and almost 60% of young people aged 15 to 17 do not attend school according to UNESCO. Faced with this situation, the African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohammed Belhocine, urged education stakeholders, institutions and civil societies concerned to adopt the AU’s strategies and policies to improve education on the continent in order to achieve Africa’s inclusive, infrastructural, economic and social development.
As you all are aware, this year 2024, has been declared AU year of Education, and since the launch of this theme, the African Union has intensified advocacy among African countries at high level events for the implementation of key transformative actions as set out in its road map. Among these is the 1st Pan African conference on girls and women’s education that rallied more than 400 participants including official delegations from member states and came up with a call for action to prioritize women and girls education in Africa. These advocacy forums will continue throughout the second half of the year.
Mohammed Belhocine,, AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation
Bearing in mind the economic implications of weak fundamental learning, former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete suggests that governments invest at least 15% of their annual budgets in education. Although the situation looks bleak from a sub-Saharan African perspective, Ghana appears to be making some progress, with over 70% of children enrolled in primary school. President Nana Akufo-Addo revealed the importance his government attaches to education.
A lot has been done in this country since I took office, through certain programmes, the expansion of infrastructure, the motivation of teachers to address this issue, but there is still a lot to be done. We are in a position where we can say that Ghana is making very serious efforts to tackle this problem. That’s the first thing to do, and the second thing is of course to define the interventions that make sense, the interventions that are feasible and that will also have maximum impact.
Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana
Investing in women’s education is investing in women’s economic empowerment and poverty eradication which is a direct path towards gender equality according to experts. In line with the African Union’s Year of Education 2024, ensuring an inclusive, quality and relevant lifelong learning for girls, women, boys and men in Africa is paramount for the AU and its Member States.
Prioritize legal frameworks, legislative and policy reforms to guarantee the reintegration and continuing education of all children, particularly girls and adolescents in school and strengthen the implementation of policies and plans to prevent and respond to school related gender-based violence and to provide all learners with information and knowledge about healthy and respectful relationships and engage men and women.
Merna Eulentin, Deputy Minister of Education – Seychelles
Achieving equitable and universal access to education on the African continent is part of the African union’s Agenda 2063. The 10 Declarations and Recommendations of the African Union’s 1st Pan-African Conference on Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (AU/PANCOGEd1) spearheaded by the African Union CIEFFA urges AU member states and education stakeholders to increase their efforts towards improving funding and commitments made at the 2022 transforming education summit on the 2022 African Union Gender experts meeting to the Dakar Declaration to guarantee fundamental education and mitigate learning losses during and after the covid 19 pandemic.
