ADEA Triennale 2012: strong messages on education and training in Africa

More than 1,000 participants gathered from 12 to 17 February in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, for the 2012 ADEA Triennale – the most important educational event in the region organised by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa. This year’s theme was “Promoting critical knowledge, skills and qualifications for sustainable development in Africa: How to design and implement an effective response through education and training systems”.

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning contributed by presenting a background paper on key issues and policy considerations in promoting lifelong learning in five selected African countries as well as a comparative analysis of recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning policy and practice in six African countries.

Among the Triennale’s strong messages, which will be presented at the African Union’s next summit meeting in July 2012, were:

• There is further need to refine the common core skills (CCS; such as literacy and language, cognitive and scientific skills, personal development and life skills, social and citizenship skills, including peace building, and work-related skills) more precisely within the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) perspective and across all forms of learning;
• Youth employment has to be addressed urgently, given the lack of job opportunities and the fact that 65% of Africans are under 30 years;
• The potential of ICT in skills-oriented teaching and learning needs to be explored;
• The private sector needs to be associated more strongly with education and training;
• Africa plans to integrate the focus on literacy in a broadened approach to lifelong learning.