The future of technology-driven social economic development requires paradigm shifts in the delivery of education and skills development in Africa. On 18th to 19th August, the AUC HRST department met with the Global E-Schools and Communities Initiative (GESCI) to discuss partnership towards leveraging ICTs for enhancing access, quality and relevance of education and skills acquisition for Africa’s development. The partners agreed that ICT integration in education should not only occur in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects but on a whole school basis in order to bring about better teaching, and learning across the curriculum, as well as more efficient school management. This will contribute to more and better prepared youth in STEM courses at university - an essential requirement for Knowledge Society development demanded by Agenda 2063.

In relation to TVET, examples were shown that, where the high-level digital skills were acquired, new digital media -related industries could be established in countries. To ensure that young graduates will be job creators rather than job seekers, it was agreed that entrepreneurship should be part of curricula as a mentor–assisted practice rather than a subject to be taught through lectures.

The GESCI was established by the UN and is based at its head office in Nairobi, Kenya. It represented by the CEO, Mr Jerome Morrissey and Mr Tarek Chehidi. GESCI is partnering with the AUC in the implementation of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA), the TVET Strategy and the Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation. GESCI will be the lead technical partner for the CESA implementation cluster on ICT in Education. Collaboration is also being established around the African Digital Schools Initiative (ADSI), African Knowledge Exchange (AKE) for technology-driven skills and practical entrepreneurship. The partners will work together to develop and deliver courses at Certificate and Masters level in African Leadership in ICT and Knowledge Society development (ALICT) for technology-driven social and economic development. Other important areas of collaboration include partnership in implementing the Continental Dialogue Platform for Youth Skills; and the pilot testing and contextualisation of the new AU tool for Education Management Information Systems.

Media Contact:

Esther Azaa Tankou, Head of Division of Information |Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission (AUC)/ Tel: +251(0) 911361185 / E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org

For further information:

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Website: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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Directorate of Information and Communication
Directorate of Information and Communication | Information and Communication | African Union Commission

Tel: +251-11-5517700 | Fax: | E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org | Web:www.au.int

Addis Ababa | Ethiopia