South Africa hosts ADEA High-Level Policy Dialogue Forum on Secondary Education in Africa
25th July 2019, Abidjan/Johannesburg - The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and the Ministry of Basic Education of South Africa in partnership with Mastercard Foundation will host the first-ever ADEA High-Level Policy Dialogue Forum on Secondary Education in Africa from 29th to 30th July 2019, at the Emperors Palace, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Forum will provide an opportunity to review and discuss the findings and recommendations of the Mastercard Foundation report, Secondary Education in Africa: Preparing Youth for the Future of Work.
Over the next few decades, young Africans will play a critical role in the social and economic development of the continent. Africa is currently the youngest continent in the world and will continue to be for the next several decades. By 2100, almost half of the world’s young people will be African. The continent’s efforts to educate its youth will have vast implications for its economic development, stability and prosperity. Africa can seize the opportunity offered by the demographic shift by investing in human capital development, particularly at the secondary education level in which youth gain the skills and knowledge needed to be productive citizens.
To this end, each year ADEA will organize a High-Level Annual Policy Dialogue Forum in order to bring together key stakeholders to showcase, share and discuss comprehensive and innovative education and training models and programs that aim at developing the leadership, skills and equipping the youth with the necessary knowledge, tools and know-how for employability or job creation.
The main theme of the first ADEAHigh-Level Annual Policy Dialogue Forum is “Secondary Education in Africa: Preparing Youth for the Future of Work.”
Albert Nsengiyumva, Executive Secretary of ADEA said: “We all need to look at how to move from research to implementation, shape policy change in secondary education and embed the findings and recommendations in country level priorities and practices.”
Kimberley Kerr, Director of Regional Programs at Mastercard Foundation commented further: “Secondary education is and will continue to be an important platform for young people to secure or create their own work. We look forward to a productive dialogue on how we can all ensure young people are prepared for the future.“
The Minister of Basic Education in South Africa, Mrs. Angie Motshekga, said that the current debates on our continent were influenced by the need to tackle Africa’s glaring inequalities and the legacy of colonialism.
In his inaugural 2018 State of the Nation Address, the President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the need to harness technological change to advance radical socio-economic transformation.
“The schooling system therefore, needs to make optimal use of emerging technologies to strengthen teaching and learning, but also needs to consider how learners can be better prepared for technological change in society, and to help bring about radical socio-economic transformation,” Minister Motshekga said.
The Forumwill therefore bring together Ministers responsible for education, youth, and labour from across the African continent, academics, policy-makers, high-level representatives from development cooperation partners, the private sector, civil society, teachers and parents associations, youth organizations and the media. This key event will provide all the participants with an opportunity to reflect on, design and implement innovative models required in secondary education in Africa to better equip teachers and prepare students for the future of work. Key themes will include: fostering relevant knowledge and skills; financing for equity, teacher motivation, teaching and learning, and digital secondary education for 21st century skills, and so forth.
For more information and media enquiries, please contact:
- Elijah Mhlanga, Chief Director: Media Liaison – National and Provincial Communication,
Department of Basic Education, T. (+27) 012 357 3773 – M. (+27) 083 580 8275| mhlanga.e@dbe.gov.za - Stefano De Cupis, Senior Communications Officer, ADEA, T. (+225) 20 26 42 61 | s.decupis@afdb.org
- James Deacon, Account Director, Djembe Consultants, T. (+233) 55 433 4778 | james@djembeconsultants.com(Focal point for Mastercard Foundation)
About ADEA
The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) is a forum for policy dialogue. It is a partnership bringing together African policymakers in charge of education, science and technology; development cooperation partners; researchers and education technical experts. ADEA contributes to the empowerment of African countries to develop quality education and training systems that respond to the countries' emergent needs and drive social and economic transformation sustainably.
About Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation seeks a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn and prosper. The Foundation’s work is guided by its mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion for people living in poverty. One of the largest foundations in the world, it works almost exclusively in Africa. It was created in 2006 by Mastercard International and operates independently under the governance of its own Board of Directors. The Foundation is based in Toronto, Canada. For more information and to sign up for the Foundation’s newsletter, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org. Follow the Foundation at @MastercardFdn on Twitter.
