Luanda: The Minister of State for Social Affairs, Maria do Ros¡rio Bragan§a, reiterated Thursday in Luanda the government’s objective to mobilize more human and financial resources to guarantee universal access for children to the education system.
According to Angola Press News Agency, during the opening of the 1st National Forum on Education and Teaching in Angola, the Minister emphasized the need to rethink education and teaching. She highlighted the necessity of defining strategies for expanding the school network and ensuring its adequate growth. The forum comes as part of broader efforts to address educational challenges and to make education more inclusive and equitable.
The Minister of State pointed out the critical need for teacher training and their social and professional development. This includes providing incentives to enhance the dignity and respect for teachers, alongside strengthening pedagogical management and supervision processes. Additionally, there is a focus on the training of school managers as well as the revision and updating of curricula and textbooks.
Maria Bragan§a identified the challenges that lie ahead in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 and the African Union 2063 agendas, both of which prioritize education for prosperity and sustainable development. She stressed the importance of promoting a skills revolution through education, science, technology, and innovation, which includes strategies to increase the number of qualified teachers at all educational levels.
The Minister also encouraged increased participation of women in education by improving access to technical and vocational education. She advocated for making these programs more accessible and promoting quality postgraduate courses to bolster research and technological development.
“We are aware that, in a context of rapid technological change, we must make education the main factor of development. This leads us to reflect on the characteristics, conditions, and actions we need to implement to overcome structural backwardness,” she stated.
The forum, under the theme “For Inclusive, Equitable and Quality Education,” is organized by the Ministries of Education and Higher Education, and Science, Technology and Innovation, as part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations of national independence. The two-day event includes 12 thematic panels focusing on different areas of the education system. It aims to identify the main obstacles to implementing UNESCO’s recommendations on education, in alignment with the principles of the New Social Pact for Education, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the ACH 2023-2037 guidelines, as well as to find solutions for reformulating education policies.