Special Issue - Biennale 2008 Looking Beyond Editorial Primary Education he theme of this year’s Biennale on Education in Africa differing from one country to another, has been remark- is post-primary education. It is fitting symbolically that able on the whole, particularly since the Dakar World TMaputo should host the meeting, since the people of Education Forum in 2000: a boom in the number of Mozambique offers to the continent the example of both a he- children in school, strong growth in gross admission and roic struggle for national liberation and successful resolution enrollment rates, and even improvement in the gender of internal conflicts. May this strong historical will to emanci- parity index and completion rates, leading to a substantial pation and to overcoming challenges inspire the participants increase in school system capacity in Africa. at the 2008 Biennale as they confront the key challenges cur- To highlight these advances is by no means to suggest, rently facing educational development in Africa. however, that the work has been completed. Of the 72 The challenge on the agenda of the Biennale is indeed million children worldwide lacking access to schooling, a major one, which may be expressed in interrogative 33 million are in Africa. Completion rates in primary form: “Beyond Primary Education: How Can Learning education, though slightly improved, are still relatively Opportunities Be Expanded in Africa?” low. Quality and equity are still matters of concern, par- ticularly as regards the situation of female, rural and poor children. This means that our mobiliza- tion and our efforts must continue, for although Africa has moved closer to the EFA goals, it is not really close to them. At the same time, we must be aware of the risks entailed by this progress. As great masses of pupils reach the end of primary education, at least three such risks arise: the dif- ficulty of managing flows efficiently and equitably, congestion at the end of primary school and the beginning of secondary education, and lack of learning opportunities for children leaving primary school at the age of 12 or 13. Why ask this question? The bottleneck in the final year of primary school For nearly two decades, all efforts have been focused on causes a cumulative reduction in school system capac- SpecialBiennaleIssue- 2008 the Education for All goals or, strictly speaking, on universal ity. In systems where many pupils repeat the last primary primary education. The progress made in Africa, though year, the problem of repetition will gradually spread into May 2008 News_biennale_en_finalprint.indd1 1 05/05/2008 12:30:05 2008 Biennale, Maputo, Mozambique Focus the earlier years as well. In other systems, This vision does not call into question 2008 Biennale on Education in Africa more children will leave school early the priorities that need to be set – in this without having acquired a sound basic case, priority to basic education. On the education. In the end, the expected eco- contrary, it strengthens the focus on basic Focus nomic and social benefits of increased education through carefully considered Editorial enrollment will be diminished, to say the setting of priorities that takes all relevant Looking beyond primary education ................1 least, and this will inevitably raise doubts information into account, as well as concerning the usefulness of education through system effects and interactions: Expanding post-primary education: in the minds of parents and local com- success in primary school, for example, Trends and emerging policies .........................3 munities – a disastrous outcome. is influenced by early childhood devel- Diversity of post-primary education in Africa: opment and parents’ literacy, while at the On the other hand, there is the legiti- The challenges ahead ...................................5 same time it depends on the knowledge mate aspiration to raise the general level and skills (programs, teachers, principals, Program and themes of the Biennale ...............6 of education in Africa, particularly that of counselors, inspectors, etc.) developed young people, not only as a fundamental Skills development and the world of work: by the higher levels. Challenges for post-primary vocational training . 7 human right but also as an investment for development. From this point of view, That is what this Biennale is all about! A wealth of experiences from Africa and the fight against poverty (which is insepa- It seeks to strengthen current areas of other regions .............................................13 rable from the imperative of economic consensus by opening up new fields Building knowledge for Africa’s Development: growth), globalization and the knowl- for dialogue, leading to a vision of a The critical role of upper secondary .............17 edge economy are all powerful reasons comprehensive, diversified and inte- for Africa to build competitive skills. grated system that will provide more and broader learning opportunities for all. These risks and imperatives all point Documents This vision raises three major issues that toward the need to stop considering are analyzed in the articles herein: Documents of the 2008 Biennale ....................9 primary education in isolation and to promote instead a holistic view of edu- How can a new conception of ba- About ADEA cational development in Africa. sic education, in which mandatory schooling lasts for 9 or 10 years, be Celebrating ADEA’s 20th anniversary ............15 What does this mean? promoted in Africa? EFA In the vertical dimension, it means What policies and strategies can considering all levels of education sys- bring about massive skills devel- 2008 EFA Global Monitoring Report: tems so as to grasp the interactions, tran- opment that really prepares young Africa makes impressive but uneven progress 17 sitions, continuities and breaks among Africans for their entry into social and between them, to optimize system and working life, in line with the Calendar effects, to construct teaching sequences demand for skills emanating from and to ensure proper, efficient and equi- the economy and from local com- Activities during the Biennale .......................20 table management of student flows and munities? paths through the system. How can the connections between Horizontally, a holistic perspec- uoper secondary education and tive decompartmentalizes the various higher education be improved so streams – general, technical, vocational, as to prepare African knowledge apprenticeship – to identify synergies, workers to cope with the challeng- build linkages between the system’s es of both endogenous develop- components and offer a wider variety of ment and economic globalization? "bridges" than is found in the traditional To answer these questions, over 120 pyramid structure with all its bottle- studies and research projects have been necks. conducted on experiences in Africa and Where modes of delivering educa- other regions of the world. They will tion and training are concerned, this serve as the basis for exchanges of expe- perspective sees a diverse range of for- rience and knowledge as well as policy mal, non-formal and informal modes, dialogue among the main stakeholders including face-to-face teaching, distance in African educational development. It is education and open learning, which our hope that they will give rise to para- make it possible to provide for differing digm changes and a new framework for needs and situations, particularly those reforms and change so as to make further of people left behind by the uniform quantitative and qualitative progress. model, and to take a broader view of the MAMADOU NDOYE current and potential resources that can EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, ADEA be mobilized for this purpose. 2 ADEA Newsletter Special Issue – 2008 Biennale News_biennale_en_finalprint.indd2 2 05/05/2008 12:30:05 Expanding post-primary education: Trends and emerging policies Jacob Bregman, Thematic Coordinator for the 2008 ADEA Biennale Adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the prioritization of universal primary education have led to rapid increases in primary enrolments in many African countries. This, along with high population growth, has resulted in increasing demand for access to post-primary education, and intensified competition for public resources. Based on a synthesis paper prepared for the Biennale, this article examines the main trends and summarizes the arguments advanced for expanding, adapting and improving lower secondary opportunities for youth. here is a growing consensus among education is usually part of a high-qual- aged resources, sustainable financing (by African countries and the interna- ity “basic education cycle” for all, while both public and private providers), and Ttional community that completion senior secondary education offers diver- improved quality of graduates (having of primary education is insufficient to sified pathways for further learning and the relevant knowledge and skills com- ensure the creation of a competitive entry into the world-of-work. parative to their counterparts in other labor force, equipped with the skills and regions). knowledge needed to drive economic Restructuring is required African Universities have been slow growth in the 21st Century. There are to participate in and to drive the transi- A fundamental restructuring of the also huge social pay-offs from better ac- tion to a modern and expanded basic African curricula is required to ensure