Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)

The inaugural #EACEducationConference has ended. Resolutions have been reached and are currently being endorsed by the relevant organs of the EAC. The key messages from the conference were clear: Collaborations are the only means of ensuring we can face and conquer the challenges in the education space within the region. More collaborations, less competitions. There has been substantial progress and success. It was pleasing to see good examples all through the parallel sessions. We are happy to note the harmonization of education systems among countries in the region. This is a critical step towards achieving skill mobility in Africa and a key ingredient towards the implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Foundational learning is at the base of ANY educational or career pursuit. Without it, all else fails. We must continue to push for improved resourcing of foundational learning while scaling what works, and we have lots of them. We must also agree on a common framework to measure learning outcomes. This is a debate we must all disagree to agree, if we can get to understand the true picture of learning outcomes in Africa. We must focus on skilling young Africans for a dynamic world mediated by technology. We have 65% of the African population under 35. To reap this demographic dividend, we must focus on skill acquisition in various forms and shades. ADEA is pleased to support countries with evidence in this area. Please read the outcome of our study on vocationalizing secondary education. Most countries are even starting at the primary level to teach skills. According to President Hakainde Hichilema, 'without skills, there's no country you can run, there's no economy you can build, and there's no business you can run'. Here are some pictures from the event and a news brief from the opening sessions of the conference. https://lnkd.in/d7Sfiddq

Today, at the EAC Regional Education Conference, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) will deliver insights into Early Childhood Development (ECD). ECD is more than just education—it's the cornerstone of a child's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth from birth to age eight. While progress is being made, we face significant challenges: A shortage of over 1.2 million trained teachers Only 37% of learners proficient in basic mathematics Limited resources and socio-economic inequalities But these challenges are not insurmountable. Tools like Teaching at the Right Level are already making a difference. Stay tuned for more insights. What innovative solutions have you seen in ECD, and how can we scale these across the continent?  #AUYearofEducation #EACEducationConference #EACREC2024 #DataForFoundationalLearning

At the ongoing #EACEducationConference, we joined GIZ Tanzania and EAC to host sub-themes 7 and 9 on 'Regional Strategies for Youth Employability: Integration of EdTech in Education, and Articulating Technical and Vocational Education Training and Skills Development (TVET/TVSD)'. In the 60-minute session, ADEA, the EAC Secretariat, together with GIZ Tanzania and EAC, shared evidence and experiences around regional and continental initiatives that support the preparation of Africa’s youth for employment and employability. We discussed the establishment of (or leveraging existing) regional digital networks in higher education as communities of practice for research, peer learning, and knowledge exchange; leveraging EdTech for remote education in higher education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training / Skills Development (TVET/TVSD); greater infusion of vocational subjects in secondary education; and efforts aimed at enhancing the use of data for informed decision-making in policy, planning, program implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of impact. It was also an opportunity to share the outcome of our studies on vocationalizing secondary education in Africa. Our Senior FL Expert, Jacqueline Jere-Folotiya moderated the roundtable sessions, which featured ADEA Senior Programs Officer Shem Bodo, the Executive Secretary of the Inter-University Council for East Africa, Gaspard Banyankimbona, Deputy Executive Secretary of the East Africa Science and Technology Commission, Muyambi Fortunate, and Adrian Njau of the East Africa Business Council.

The inaugural East Africa Community #Educationconference2024 is well underway. The Vice President of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Philip Isdor Mpango, declared the conference open. Here are three soundbites from the VeePee’s speech: **** Tanzania runs a seven-year compulsory schooling program for its children. The country plans to push this up to 10 years by 2028. **** Tanzania has undertaken major curriculum review efforts to infuse the use of technology and guarantee digital transformation in teaching and learning in Tanzania. **** Tanzania is vocationalizing #secondaryeducation! It offers two streams in its secondary education system: general education and vocational education. Therefore, all graduates from secondary schools in Tanzania hold both a school certificate and a vocational skill certification. Are you at the #EACEducationConference? Share your thoughts and perspectives with us in the comment section.

While the #EACConference2024 is ongoing in Arusha, our colleagues on the Education and Skills Data project are in Dodoma to engage with officials from the Ministry of Education on the project. With this visit, Tanzania will be the first country to officially kick off the implementation of this initiative in Africa.

Sixty-five percent of Africa's 1.4 billion people are aged 35 years or under. This is a working-age population estimated to reach 664 million by 2030. We must ensure that this critical mass of young people learn skills that are labour market-driven and position them for the 4th industrial revolution. This is how we will build resilient economies and guarantee Africa's growth. The African Union Education Department has commenced efforts to develop a revised continental strategy for technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The revised strategy will provide a comprehensive framework for the design and development of national policies and strategies that will enhance skill development and employability. The AU is pushing for a paradigm shift towards preparing young people to be job creators rather than job seekers. ADEA is pleased to support this process. Earlier this week, our Senior Programs Officer, Shem Bodo, was in Addis Ababa with other members of the strategy drafting team to articulate a strategy that is robust, fit-for-purpose, and meets the standards above.

ADEA is excited to join partners at the inaugural #EACEducationConference holding next week, in Arusha, Tanzania. Senior Programs Officer Shem Bodo and Senior FL Expert Jacqueline Jere-Folotiya will be speaking at the conference on education and skills data, foundational learning, and technical and vocational skills development (TVSD) in alliance with colleagues from UNICEF, PAL Network, Africa Early Childhood Network, GIZ Tanzania and EAC and EAC. Will you be in Arusha for the EAC Education Conference?

Le mois de juillet a été un mois chargé, mais extraordinaire. Il était riche en initiatives passionnantes. Nous sommes heureux d'avoir eu l'occasion de renouer avec des partenaires et des parties prenantes du secteur de l'éducation, de partager des expériences et de réaffirmer notre engagement à faire avancer l'agenda de l'éducation et de l'apprentissage en Afrique. Au début du mois, nous avons participé à la Conférence inaugurale sur la technologie de l’éducation en Afrique et au 3e Forum ministériel, organisés par la Mastercard Foundation. L'ADEA a profité de la conférence pour partager des expériences nationales sur la prise de décision basée sur les données et pour renforcer l'engagement initial des pays et des partenaires sur le projet de données sur l'éducation et les compétences. Juste après, notre Secrétaire exécutif Albert Nsengiyumva a conduit la délégation qui a eu une audience avec le champion de l'apprentissage fondamental en Afrique, Son Excellence M. Hakainde Hichilema, président de la Zambie. Les discussions ont porté sur l'importance de l'apprentissage fondamental, son état actuel sur le continent, la nécessité d'en faire une priorité et de lui donner plus d'importance, et le rôle du Président en tant que champion de l'apprentissage fondamental. La délégation de l'ADEA a discuté avec l'équipe du Président des meilleures approches pour défendre les idéaux de l'apprentissage fondamental en Afrique. Nous avons poursuivi les derniers tours du Forum de dialogue politique sur l'intégration de l'éducation STIM et des pédagogies basées sur le jeu à Maurice, au Swatini et en Côte d'Ivoire. Pour ajouter à ces activités passionnantes, nous avons conclu la série de webinaires en quatre parties sur l'enseignement du calcul fondamental en utilisant les simulations interactives PhET et le webinaire sur le leadership scolaire pour l'apprentissage fondamental avec Learning Generation Initiative (LGI), African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) et VVOB. L'ADEA a également tenu sa deuxième assemblée générale intérimaire, où elle a reçu le feu vert pour aller de l'avant avec l'incorporation de l'association en tant qu'entité légale et l'approbation de son plan stratégique quinquennal et de sa stratégie de mobilisation des ressources. En effet, nous sommes ravis que la seconde moitié de 2024 ait décollé à une vitesse aussi vertigineuse, mais nous sommes encore plus enthousiastes pour le mois d'août. En savoir plus sur nos interventions en juillet et nos projets pour le mois d'août. https://lnkd.in/eCGzpeDH

July was a busy but fulfilling period at ADEA. It was filled with exciting activities. But we are glad for the opportunity to reconnect with education partners and stakeholders, share experiences, and recommit to moving forward Africa’s education and learning agenda.   From July 8 to 12, we were at the inaugural #Africa #EdTechConference and 3rd Ministerial Forum, organized by the Mastercard Foundation. ADEA leveraged the conference to share country-level experiences on data-driven decision-making and to strengthen the initial country and partner engagement on the Education and Skills Data project. Right after, our Executive Secretary, Albert Nsengiyumva, and Senior FL Expert, Jacqueline Jere-Folotiya, led the delegation that had an audience with Africa’s Foundational Learning Champion, His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of #Zambia. Discussions focused on the importance of foundational learning, its current state on the continent, the need for its prioritization and increased salience, and the President’s role as Champion of Foundational Learning. The ADEA delegation discussed with the President’s team the best approaches to championing the ideals of foundational learning in Africa. We continued the final laps of the policy dialogue forum on integrating STEM education and play-based pedagogies in Mauritius, eSwatini, and Cote d’Ivoire. To add to these exciting activities, we concluded the four-part webinar series on teaching foundational numeracy using the PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder and the webinar on School Leadership for foundational learning with the The Learning Generation Initiative (LGI), the Africa Centre for School Leadership (ACSL), and VVOB. ADEA also held its second interim general assembly meeting, where it received the green light to move ahead with the incorporation of the association as a legal entity and the approval of its five-year strategic plan and resource mobilization strategy.  Indeed, we are excited that the second half of 2024 has taken off at such a breathtaking speed, but we are even more energized for the month of August. Read our monthly newsletter for July, and learn more about our interventions in July. https://lnkd.in/ehhrEDk2

The verdict is clear: '........without skills, there's no business you can run. There's no economy you can run. There's is no country you can run.................. President Hakainde Hichilema! Education is the best investment, equalizer and inheritance. There's no reason we should not bequeath this to Africa's children.