The Future of Africa

The 2012 ADEA Triennale on Critical Knowledge, Skills and Qualifications to Accelerate Sustainable Development in Africa

In Africa, the youth (15-24 years) constitute 40% of the total population, but over 60% of young people are unemployed. They live within the highest levels of poverty associated with low levels of education, few marketable skills, low labour productivity and generally poor health status. Consequently, many youth in Africa find it hard to picture their future. (State of the African Youth Report 2011, AU & UNFPA)

Youth, reforms in education and training systems, and intensified partnerships for education were the focus of the biggest ever African education conference, the Triennale on Education and Training in Africa, held in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, 13-17 February 2012. The Triennale asked how to design and implement effective education and training systems for promoting critical knowledge, skills and qualifications necessary for Africa’s sustainable development. The conference reflected on the African Union’s vision of "an Africa integrated, prosperous and peaceful; an Africa driven by its own citizens, a dynamic force in the global arena”.

The Triennale organizers, the Association for Development of Education in Africa, had invited background documents on three sub-themes: 1) common core skills for lifelong learning and sustainable development in Africa, 2) lifelong technical and vocational skills development for sustainable socioeconomic growth in Africa, 3) lifelong acquisition of scientific and technological knowledge and skills for Africa’s sustainable development in a globalized world.

The background documents (N=41) analysed core skills required for active and responsible African citizenship. To summarize the documents, five thematic synthesis reports were compiled. They urged the African Union and governments to the change the direction from supply-driven to demand-guided education and training systems, enhanced stakeholder involvement and investments, and improved quality and relevance. The representatives of young people called for the governments to put education, training and employment at the center of all social, cultural and economic policies. The private sector emphasised skills development and cooperation between public and private sector partners.

The Triennale gathered around 800 participants from African Ministries of Education, the African Union, civil society organizations, academia, private sector, and international and bilateral organizations. The range of participating organizations was wider than during the previous African education conferences. The presentations varied from comparative research to country reports and case studies. The host country, Burkina Faso, highlighted its serious efforts in providing good quality education for all by showing a documentary film that included voices of children, parents, teachers and school leaders.

The Triennale participation showed a strong political commitment to education and furthermore, to lifelong learning that reaches beyond formal schooling to active participation in work and civic life.

Several presenters and participants pointed out that while there has been a massive increase in enrolments in basic education during the last two decades, further education and training have received far too little attention and resources. The role of research, science and technology was emphasized. Enhancement of the relevance of learning contents, use of interactive pedagogy, collaboration between schools and employers, and strategies for connecting informal, non-formal and formal learning were deemed significant for building African identity and citizenship. The educated Africans in diaspora were identified as an untapped resource for reforming education and training systems.

For us, the UniPID network members and partners, the key message is the central role of higher education and research in building critical knowledge, skills and qualifications through our partnerships with African colleagues and universities. How do science, technology and innovations benefit people in Africa? How do we contribute to the future of African youth?

More information about the Triennale, including videos of presentations: http://www.adeanet.org/triennale

Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA): www.adeanet.org

CIMO coordinates Finland’s collaboration with ADEA: http://www.cimo.fi/services/adea