Uganda To Host Secondary Education Conference
May 25, 2003
EDUCATION experts across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and representatives of the donor community converge in Uganda next month for the first ever regional conference on Secondary Education in Africa (SEIA).
By John Eremu
EDUCATION experts across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and representatives of the donor community converge in Uganda next month for the first ever regional conference on Secondary Education in Africa (SEIA).
The conference to run from June 9 to 13, 2003 aims at providing a forum for SSA countries to share and discuss best practices in secondary education reform as world attention shifts from primary to post-primary education.
The conference to take place at Speke resort Munyonyo is jointly organised by the World Bank’s human development department, the World Bank Institute, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and the Academy for Education Development (AED).
“The audience for the event is senior decision-makers and officials from the ministries of education and specific representatives from the civic society from about 15 SSA countries,†the World Bank said in a statement posted on its website.
The conference also aims at developing action plans for a sustainable approach to increase access, relevance, equity and quality in secondary education in Africa.
It will be an opportunity to share findings of the regional SEIA thematic studies with SSA policy makers and educators and highlight international trends in secondary education reform.
The SEIA study was a regional initiative by the World Bank, SSA countries and other donors. “The study’s goals are to identify major lessons for reforms in secondary education in SSA and provide a forum for discussion for educators, decision-makers and donor agencies,†the World Bank said.
Many countries in SSA have increased primary school enrolment rates but less than one-third of the youth attend lower secondary schools. “To address this, SSA countries are now defining financially sustainable strategies to expand access to lower secondary education for a much larger proportion of the 12-16 year age group,†the statement said.
“Achieving Education For All (EFA) by 2015 will mean providing learning opportunities for lower secondary education. Secondary education is crucial for creating and maintaining a high quality teaching force. And secondary education is increasingly being seen as crucial for fostering civic participation and fighting diseases like HIV/AIDS,†it added.
The World Bank, however, warned that while ‘SSA countries must somehow expand access to quality secondary education,’ resources from the primary sub-sector should not be diverted. Ends
EDUCATION experts across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and representatives of the donor community converge in Uganda next month for the first ever regional conference on Secondary Education in Africa (SEIA).
The conference to run from June 9 to 13, 2003 aims at providing a forum for SSA countries to share and discuss best practices in secondary education reform as world attention shifts from primary to post-primary education.
The conference to take place at Speke resort Munyonyo is jointly organised by the World Bank’s human development department, the World Bank Institute, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and the Academy for Education Development (AED).
“The audience for the event is senior decision-makers and officials from the ministries of education and specific representatives from the civic society from about 15 SSA countries,†the World Bank said in a statement posted on its website.
The conference also aims at developing action plans for a sustainable approach to increase access, relevance, equity and quality in secondary education in Africa.
It will be an opportunity to share findings of the regional SEIA thematic studies with SSA policy makers and educators and highlight international trends in secondary education reform.
The SEIA study was a regional initiative by the World Bank, SSA countries and other donors. “The study’s goals are to identify major lessons for reforms in secondary education in SSA and provide a forum for discussion for educators, decision-makers and donor agencies,†the World Bank said.
Many countries in SSA have increased primary school enrolment rates but less than one-third of the youth attend lower secondary schools. “To address this, SSA countries are now defining financially sustainable strategies to expand access to lower secondary education for a much larger proportion of the 12-16 year age group,†the statement said.
“Achieving Education For All (EFA) by 2015 will mean providing learning opportunities for lower secondary education. Secondary education is crucial for creating and maintaining a high quality teaching force. And secondary education is increasingly being seen as crucial for fostering civic participation and fighting diseases like HIV/AIDS,†it added.
The World Bank, however, warned that while ‘SSA countries must somehow expand access to quality secondary education,’ resources from the primary sub-sector should not be diverted. Ends