AFRICAN Governments should allocate more resources to basic education and continue to transform the sector to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target for universal education for all by 2030, education officials have said.
Education directors and Permanent Secretaries from 26 countries in East and Southern Africa are meeting for a week-long Strategic Choices for Education Reform in Eastern and Southern Africa (SCER) workshop which started on Monday and ends on Sunday in Victoria Falls.
Government, in partnership with the World Bank and Global Partnership for Education, is hosting the education event which came a result of a World Bank-driven assessment of the challenges facing the education system in the two regions.
In separate interviews on the sidelines of the event, education officials concurred that investing in literacy is key to Africa’s socio-economic development.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education permanent secretary Mrs Tumisang Thabela said economic activity depends on literacy.
“This is a learning platform to share lessons on how to get things right starting from infant education. We have agreed as the two sub-regions that we have a common challenge that a number of our children at infancy level can barely read, making whatever happens in the classroom less successful,” she said.
Mrs Thabela said delegates were sharing notes on how to meet the target of ensuring that by 2030 all children by end of Grade Two are able to read and write.
Zimbabwe’s literacy rate is above 90 percent and Government is working on introducing free education for all in its policy of leaving no one and no place behind.
Mrs Thabela said the Covid-19 pandemic catapulted Government to start thinking of how to transform the education system to make it resilient.
The whole continent is also guided by resolution of the African Union to work on transforming education so that it becomes the fundamental tool for socio-economic recovery and development.
This was the resolution of the Transforming Education Summit held on the sidelinesof the United Nations General Assembly recently.
“If there has to be universal education for all by 2030, it means everybody should be literate by 2030. If we continue transforming the way we do things, blending methodologies like use of digital interactions and disruptions and continue to invest heavily in the infant module and basic education, we will realise our goal,” said Mrs Thabela.
Her counterpart from Seychelles Mr John Lesperance, who is also representing East Africa, implored governments to allocate more resources to basic education.
“This conference comes at a more opportune time as countries are transforming education and some countries are ahead in terms of reforms. We need to encourage governments to start investing in education if we are to alleviate poverty,” he said.
Mr Lesperance said education is a fundamental pillar of a society and rural people should be made to understand that they can get a better life through it.
World Bank education manager for East and Southern Africa Ms Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali said countries can learn from Zimbabwe’s education system.
“Zimbabwe has had a lot of challenges in the past like access to financing, but, however, the country’s history in education is a good example for other countries,” she said.
Global Partnership for Education policy and learning team leader Ms Raphaelle Martinez said partners will continue working with Zimbabwe as it introuces free education.
Global Partnership for Education has been Zimbabwe’s partner in education for decades. – The Chronicle
