African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) Closes Foundational Phase with Key Insights from African Policymakers and Partners
Kigali, Rwanda – 26 September 2024 – The African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) concluded its two-day conference in Kigali, Rwanda, marking the close of its foundational phase. The event, held between 25 and 26 September 2024, brought together education policymakers and practitioners from eight African countries – Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, as well as representatives from leading Pan-African and global education partners such as ADEA, the Mastercard Foundation, VVOB, Education Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA), FAWE, Jacob’s Foundation, and UNESCO IICBA.
The conference facilitated critical discussions on the role of school leadership in addressing the pressing challenges facing education in Africa, with a special focus on successful initiatives and challenges in policy development and implementation, professional development practice, the ubuntu factor, community involvement, mentorship and coaching, school leadership in conflict and emergency contexts, research on school leadership in Africa, and the future of ACSL.
Key Remarks from the Conference:
Officially opening the conference, the Minister of Education of Rwanda, Hon. Joseph Nsengimana, noted the strong correlation between school leadership and learning outcomes. In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Chief Technical Advisor, Pascal Gatabazi, Hon. Nsengimana reiterated the importance of ACSL and called for greater collaboration among the partners in strengthening school leadership in Africa through the Centre.
Remarks from VVOB Rwanda Country Programs Manager, Nuria Moreno, the representative of Mastercard Foundation Rwanda Country Director, and the ADEA Executive Secretary, Albert Nsengiyumva, highlighted school leadership as the cause and other aspects as the effects, the need to have a clear direction in school leadership for improved access, relevance and quality of education, greater involvement of parents and communities, leveraging alumni associations, and seeing ACSL as an enabler for youth employment.
In the session moderated by Shem Bodo, ADEA Senior Programs Officer, on School Leadership Policy Development and Implementation: Successes and Challenges, representatives from Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania shared successes in school leadership professional standards, mentoring and coaching using retired school leaders, establishment of communities of practice for school leaders to promote peer learning, among others. There was emphasis on the need for greater focus on social and emotional learning in school leadership preparation, as well as embracing climate change, EdTech and data for evidence. These issues were further discussed in the panel session on School Leadership Professional Development Practice moderated by Dr. Fay Hodza, ACSL Regional Coordinator, VVOB Rwanda.
The conference witnessed a valuable blend of young and retired school leaders who shared their experience on issues of Mentorship and Coaching in School Leadership, moderated by Dr. Teresa Omondi, FAWE Deputy Director and Head of Programmes.
Dr. Abdishakur Tarah, Senior Lecturer at the Nottingham Institute of Education, moderated a panel featuring Liberia, Uganda, and Somalia, addressing School Leadership in Conflict/Emergency Contexts. Dr. Pauline Essah, Director of Research and Programmes at ESSA, led a session on Research on School Leadership in Africa, that emphasized the importance of research originating from African institutions.
Prof. Nkobi Owen Pansiri, Associate Professor at the University of Botswana, echoed this sentiment, declaring,
“Africa is a battlefield of ideas. We need research that is coming out of Africa.”
He highlighted the urgency of generating context-specific knowledge to shape the continent's educational policies and practices.
In his session on the future of ACSL, Dr. Jef Peeraer, Global Strategic Education Advisor at VVOB, shared insights on the centre’s next steps, urging participants to embrace innovative and adaptive strategies as they chart the way forward for ACSL’s growth.
Reflecting on the conference, Dr. Elyas Abdi, Director General at Kenya’s Ministry of Education, stressed the centrality of leadership in schools, saying,
“A school is the head, and the head is the school.”
His statement underscored the vital role of effective leadership in transforming education systems at all levels.
Tom Vandenbosch of VVOB introduced the concept of reverse mentoring, encouraging African leaders to learn from younger generations and newer perspectives, a vital tool in an evolving educational landscape.
In his closing remarks, Albert Nsengiyumva, the ADEA Executive Secretary, underscored the importance of research and leadership in shaping the future of education in Africa. He emphasized that,
“Research is about learning, and leadership is about developing emotional intelligence to allow you to learn from yourself.”
He urged stakeholders to embrace agility in responding to challenges such as conflict, digitalization, climate change, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“Our context is unique. We need to adapt and cope with changing situations,” he added.
Albert also issued a call for broader collaboration across Africa, stating,
“Let's dream big: let ACSL bring on board all of Africa, not just the 12 countries. Ownership and partnership are two sides of the same progress.”
He called oncountries to take ownership of the initiative to ensure its success, stressing that the value of ACSL will depend on widespread buy-in from across the continent.
As the conference concluded, participants left with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to strengthening school leadership in Africa. With the foundational phase complete, ACSL looks ahead to expanding its reach and fostering partnerships that will drive educational transformation across the continent.
