Sissili Education Directorate Reviews School Year ProgressAU Summit Calls for Overhaul of African Education to Boost Technology and Development

LÉO — The Provincial Directorate of Post-Primary and Secondary Education (DPEPS) in Sissili convened its second board of directors meeting on Friday, February 16, 2024, presided over by Mimtiri Oualbéogo. This session, marking a significant point in the 2023-2024 academic year, brought together leaders from various high schools and colleges, the administrative staff of DPEPS, and representatives of student parents.

According to Burkina Information Agency, The meeting focused on evaluating the educational progress of the second term, preparations for upcoming school exams and competitions, and reviewing the reports from the start of the 2023-2024 school year. Michaël Apollinaire Sow, the head of the education service at DPEPS-Sissili, reported a 55.94% success rate in the province’s educational activities for the first quarter, a slight improvement from the previous year’s 54.97%.

According to Mimtiri Oualbéogo, the Provincial Director of Post-Primary and Secondary Education in Sissili, this achievement reflects the collective efforts of all stakeholders within the education sector of the province. Oualbéogo emphasized the importance of parental involvement and the support of social partners in the educational process, highlighting their roles in sustaining and improving the quality of education.

The meeting also noted the enrollment of 2,968 students as BEPC (Brevet d’Etudes du Premier Cycle) candidates for the year, underscoring the ongoing need for dedication and effort from all parties involved to ensure the successful completion of the school year. Oualbéogo called for increased commitment from everyone to contribute their best to the success of educational activities in Sissili, aiming for continuous improvement in the province’s educational outcomes.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – During the 37th African Union (AU) Summit, participants emphasized the need for Africa to overhaul its education system to better embrace technology and prepare the continent for a prosperous future. The summit, which gathered African leaders from AU member states, focused on enhancing the state of education to accelerate Africa’s development goals.

According Ethiopian News Agency, the 37th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of the Heads of State and Government, which lasted two days, aimed at fostering resilient education systems. These systems are intended to provide increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning under the theme “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa.” Hosted at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the summit sought to position education at the center of Africa’s development strategy.

Prince Moses Ofori-Atta, Communication Head of the African Prosperity Network, highlighted the critical need for new, technology-focused educational frameworks. “When we say our education approach should be technology-focused, it means that we need to build systems that speak to technology,” Ofori-Atta stated. He pointed out Africa’s vast untapped potential in natural resources and its significant population, lamenting the continent’s lag in technological advancement and global competitiveness.

The lack of a transformed education system was identified as a major barrier to achieving inclusive prosperity across the continent. Ofori-Atta stressed the importance of revising and reimagining the current educational systems to better align with the demands of the 21st century, particularly in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, echoed the sentiment, arguing that a robust education system is fundamental to Africa’s development. “If we don’t have education for our children, it is going to be extremely difficult to actually power development on the continent,” Eziakonwa said. She underscored the need for a new approach to education in Africa to harness the skills of young people and make them globally competitive.

The summit highlighted the importance of integrating technology into education to enable African youth to thrive in a technology-driven global economy. Eziakonwa and other leaders advocated for creating educational systems and institutions that are conducive to the future of work, emphasizing technology’s role in shaping competitive, skilled workforces.

The 37th AU Summit thus marked a significant step towards redefining education in Africa, with leaders calling for a strategic shift towards technology-oriented learning to secure the continent’s future in an increasingly digital world.