EAC governments asked to stop lip service and fund education

ARUSHA, TANZANIA | THE INDEPENDENT | Governments across the East African region need to stop giving lip service to the Education Sector and breathe life into the recent reforms with adequate funding.

Tanzanian Vice President Dr Philip Isdor Mpango says that the educational reforms that EAC member states have embarked on in recent years will require massive financial commitments, short of which will be a waste of effort for a region which is struggling to uplift education standards.

He observed that the education systems in EAC are faced with several challenges related mainly to access to education, quality of education systems, teacher quality and capacities, learning and integration of ICT, digitalisation of education systems, and coping with emerging issues in education, like development of Artificial Intelligence and greening education. These will all require adequate funding.

Dr Mpango adds that governments must deliberately invest in education infrastructure such as classrooms and houses for teachers, improving the teaching environment, improving the quality and quantity of teachers and ensuring the availability of teaching aids and materials such as books and computers.

‘We must significantly invest in the education and health of our children. High fertility rates in our countries imply that we must set aside more resources, both financial and human, to cater for the ever-expanding needs for quality education and health,’ Dr Mpango said.

He was speaking during the ongoing East African Community Education Conference at the Arusha International Conference Centre.

Dr Mpango added that since most of the challenges are common to the EAC Partner States, they can be better addressed through joint and concerted efforts under regional platforms of the East African Community.

He referenced a World Bank index that reflects investment in education. Using this index, Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest score of all regions globally scoring an average of 0.4 on the human capital index compared to the global average of 0.57.

According to the index, six member states of the EAC score below the 0.4 average score of Sub-Saharan Africa. This implies that Education remains underfunded, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa yet, the index shows that Africa has the largest return on education compared to any other continent. The estimates show that for each additional year of schooling, the average earning of the youth rises to 14 per cent.

Meanwhile, Prof. Mohammed Belhocine, the AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation asked governments to undertake joint efforts in education, training and human capital development.

He says the efforts should include the harmonization of education systems, facilitating the mobility of students and staff, regional quality assurance standards and benchmarks, mutual recognition of academic and professional qualifications, and harmonized efforts to enhance access, equity and quality of basic education systems.

He added that students should now graduate with both a secondary school certificate and a Vocational Training Certificate. This is to ensure that the education system offers sufficient opportunities to students whose aptitude is more on skills, rather than just academic pursuits.

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