By Thomas Allen. We have to face facts: agriculture’s role in the food economy of West Africa isn’t as important as it used to be. Today, 40% of the agro-food sector’s value added is no longer produced by agriculture. Agriculture remains a pillar of economies in the region, but the food chain’s downstream segments are evolving in line with changes in society. More...
27 décembre 2015
Education 2030 agenda is already on track in West and Central Africa
In the last 15 years, despite an increasing progress on the Education for All goals and education-related MDGs, this is still is a pending subject in Africa. Perhaps, according to the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2015, 18 countries worldwide are far from achieving the quantifiable EFA goals, 10 of which are in West and Central Africa (UNESCO: 2015). See more...
Moving beyond agriculture: It’s food that matters!
Piloting family learning in Mozambique
The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) is working with Mozambique’s National Adult Literacy and Education Department on the development of a pedagogical model to pilot a family learning project in Mozambique. The project, which is part of the Malala Initiative – a fund for girls’ right to education launched last year by UNESCO and the Government of Pakistan, and which will be piloted in four districts in Maputo and Nampula provinces, takes an intergenerational approach to learning. Its chief objective is to enhance the literacy skills of both parents and children by fostering a culture of learning in economically disadvantaged families. More...
20 décembre 2015
Au delà des manifestations sur les frais de scolarité, le profond malaise des universités sud-africaines
Par . Les universités sud-africaines manquent de moyens. Ce n’est ni une hypothèse, ni une opinion : c’est un fait que même le ministère de l’Éducation supérieure et de la Formation confirme. Voir l'article...
19 décembre 2015
Why Afrikaans doesn’t qualify for special treatment at universities
By and . There is a fierce debate underway about the language of instruction at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Students protested throughout 2015 against the use of Afrikaans as the institution’s main language. This culminated in the university management deciding to adopt English as its primary language of instruction. More...16 décembre 2015
Pan-African standard to manage research funds planned
By Munyaradzi Makoni. A new body started this year with the ambition to raise the quality and quantity of Africa’s research output, the Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa or AESA, is launching a new initiative to develop continental standards and transparency in managing donor research funds in universities, research institutions and governments. Read more...Universities add course in female genital mutilation
Three Tanzanian universities are offering a new course on female genital mutilation to train health care professionals to deal with victims of the harmful practice that is still widespread although illegal, writes Kizito Makoye for Reuters. Read more...Strengthening higher education in a time of peace
By Munyaradzi Makoni. Eritrea has in recent months recruited foreign academics and signed international higher education agreements. It is an indication that the country may be turning a corner, putting war and destruction in the past and strengthening universities for the future. Read more...Government bonds to fund higher education development
By Kudzai Mashiningo. Zimbabwe’s government has resolved to issue higher and tertiary education bonds for the development of infrastructure at public universities, polytechnics and colleges. Read more...Senate orders review of universities admissions policy
By Tunde Fatunde. Senate, the upper chamber of Nigeria’s legislative body, has directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board – JAMB – to extend the validity of university entrance exam results to three years, and to stop assigning students to institutions for which they have not applied. Read more...
