Sustaining Educational and Economic Momentum in Africa
The conference brought together 44 African ministers of finance and of education from 28 African countries for a structured dialogue on sustaining Africa's economic and educational progress in the current context of a global economic slowdown....
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Language: | English |
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World Bank
2012
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Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000334955_20100511045524 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2456 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/5933 |
Summary: | The conference brought together 44
African ministers of finance and of education from 28
African countries for a structured dialogue on sustaining
Africa's economic and educational progress in the
current context of a global economic slowdown. African
countries have achieved laudable progress during the last
decade towards the Education for All (EFA) goals for 2015
that were agreed in Dakar in 2000, particularly with regard
to Universal Primary Education (UPE). This progress reflects
the combined impact of several factors, notably courageous
education reforms, substantially increased public financing
of education made possible largely by sustained economic
growth and increased political priority for education-and
greater inflows of external aid for education. The momentum
may be jeopardized, however, by the current worldwide
economic downturn. Tightening domestic budgets and external
aid could increase the difficulty of sustaining policy
reform and strategic investments, thereby putting at risk
the hard won gains of the last ten years. They could also
undermine Africa's efforts to develop post basic
education and training and delay achievement of key goals of
the African Union's Second Decade for Education in
Africa. The result would be to frustrate the aspirations of
the increasing numbers of African youth who seek to go
beyond primary education and to deny their prospective
employers the skilled workforce that could help boost
business competitiveness and economic growth. The emerging
global economic circumstances provided a key rationale for
the Conference. Its purpose was to stimulate dialogue among
senior policy makers on policy options to achieve a mutually
reinforcing relation between education and the economy. |
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