Innovating Education in Africa Expo: Meeting Continental Targets for Inclusive, Quality and Transformative Education and training in the 21st Century
by ISTVS
Innovating Education in Africa Expo: Meeting Continental Targets for Inclusive, Quality and Transformative Education and training in the 21st Century
4th – 6thOctober, 2018, Dakar, Senegal
Prepared by: Lucy Wood.
On the occasion of World Teacher’s Day – 5th October – in Dakar, Senegal, ISTVS joined with people from all corners of the African continent to address the looming challenges facing education systems globally. ‘Walk the talk’ was the recurring message, as a multitude of frameworks and continental policies exist that need to be translated into practice to impact lives in Africa.
As stated by the African Union Commissioner for Human Resources, Sciences and Technology, H.E. Prof. Sarah Anyang Agbor, ‘education is undoubtedly the most important tool to realize Africa’s destiny of a prosperous, integrated and peaceful continent that takes its rightful place in the global community of people’. The AU Agenda 2063, the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA), the Sustainable Development Goal 4 for quality education, along with many regional and national policies reaffirm the transformative importance of education. The EXPO aimed to show case technical and social innovations in education and training across Africa, and to establish a multi-sectoral platform for experience sharing of relevant innovations that provide solutions to education challenges in Africa.
ISTVS, represented by the Dean of Studies – Dr. Abdullahi Sheikh Mohamed Nur and Educationalist Lucy Wood, showcased the establishment of the IGAD Sheikh Technical Veterinary School as an innovative example of demand driven, student-centred, quality education. Aligned with the themes of the EXPO were ISTVS’ focus on problem-solving, critical thinking and learning-by-doing, graduating youth that were furnished with the necessary skills to immediately join the labour market.
Substantial emphasis was put on the current challenges faced by many youth even after graduation that they might have the necessary knowledge but lack the skills andattitudes required by employers. References were made to the need for job creators rather than the job seekers, again calling for youth with an entrepreneurial skills base that rarely comes from traditional education.
Given the EXPO’s focus, a multitude ofinnovations making use of ICT were presented, calling for their integration into education systems from early ages through to university. Adoption of ICTs calls for connectivity, digitalizing content, equipping teachers with skills to teach 21st century learners, agreeing on technologies and infrastructure requirements, and gathering data to be able to make decisions in education. Impressive examples were showcased, with the winner of the first prize going to Ghana, Dext Technology Limited with a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) kit for students.
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