JOHANNESBURG - The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and the basic education ministry on Tuesday said that they had partnered with the Mastercard Foundation and would be hosting the first-ever ADEA High-Level Annual Policy Dialogue Forum on Secondary Education in Africa.
The forum is aimed at providing 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; and will take place from July 29 to 30, at the Emperors Palace Hotel, in Johannesburg.
The basic education department said the forum would 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 organisations and the media.
Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, said in his inaugural 2018 state-of-the-nation address the President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised 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,” she said.
Executive Secretary of ADEA, Albert Nsengiyumva, 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.”
Director of Regional Programs at Mastercard Foundation, Kimberley Kerr, said: “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.