The African Union Commission (AUC) achieved a historic milestone on Tuesday, October 1, with the successful launch of the African Union (AU) Decade of Accelerated Action for the Transformation of Education and Skills Development in Africa (2025-2034) alongside six strategic frameworks during the opening day of the Pan African Conference on Teacher Education (PACTED 2025) at the AUC Headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The symbolic launch ceremony, presided over by H.E. Professor Gaspard Banyankimbona, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI), and assisted by Her Excellency Ayelech Eshete, State Minister of Education of Ethiopia, His Excellency Javier Nino Perez, the European Union Ambassador to the African Union, H.E. Lamine Baali Yahiaoui, Ambassador of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, STC-EST5 1st Vice-Chair along with representatives from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and other strategic partners, marks a transformative commitment to education transformation and skills development aligned with Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.
Under the co-moderation of Prof. Saidou Madougou, Director of ESTI and Mrs Sophia Ashipala, the Head of Education Division, ESTI, the launch began with the unveiling of the Second Continental Report on the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) and SDG 4, presented to the public by Commissioner Banyankimbona together with the Directors of UNICEF and UNESCO Liaison Offices to the African Union. This collaborative effort documents Africa's progress in expanding access to education and achieving gender parity, while highlighting persistent challenges including learning poverty, insufficient financing, and gaps in teacher supply and quality.
Building on this evidence base, the Continental Assessment Framework (CCAF) was launched by Commissioner Banyankimbona with the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report team. Developed through analysis of curricula from ten African countries, the CCAF addresses critical learning data gaps by providing standardized assessment tools in mathematics and reading for Grades 3, 6, and 9. This framework enables cross-country comparability and supports evidence-based curriculum reform and teacher training.
Complementing these assessment and reporting mechanisms, Commissioner Banyankimbona and the UNESCO launched Transforming Knowledge for Africa's Future, a bold initiative repositioning Africa from knowledge consumer to knowledge producer. The initiative promotes open access to African-generated research, integrates indigenous knowledge systems with modern science, and establishes African-led platforms for knowledge creation and dissemination.
These foundational frameworks set the stage for the launch of Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2025-2034), officially declared by Commissioner Banyankimbona. STISA-2034 provides the scientific and technological backbone for education transformation through six strategic pillars: eradication of hunger and food security, prevention and control of diseases, communication for physical and intellectual mobility, protection of space and environment, building peace, and wealth creation.
At the heart of this transformation agenda stands CESA 2026-2035, launched by Commissioner Banyankimbona. Building on lessons from CESA 2016-2025, the new strategy rests on five transformative pillars: foundational learning for literacy and numeracy, teacher professionalism, skills for employability and entrepreneurship, digital learning and innovation, and robust governance and financing.
The culmination of the launch ceremony was the official declaration of the AU Decade of Education 2025-2034, presented by Commissioner Banyankimbona alongside all Ministers present, Ambassadors, and distinguished partners. Born during the African Union Year of Education 2024 and endorsed by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February 2025, the Decade represents a continental promise anchored on three bold commitments: ending learning poverty and ensuring foundational skills for all, elevating the teaching profession as central to Africa's development, and aligning education with the future of work through digital transformation and innovation. Serving as an umbrella framework, the Decade unifies CESA, TVET, STISA, and other continental instruments into a coherent, actionable agenda.
The launch ceremony was followed by strong commitments from Member States across all five African regions, alongside United Nations (UN) agencies, continental organizations, and international partners. Participants reaffirmed their robust engagement to support implementation of the AU Decade of Education and all strategies launched. Significantly, partners emphasized that launching these frameworks is not sufficient, stressing the imperative to make tangible impact on the field to truly change education statistics in Africa. All stakeholders pledged to work closely with the African Union at national levels, committing to do more and more to change the narrative of education across the continent.
For further information, please contact:
Ms Claudette Chancelle BILAMPASSI MOUTSATSI | ESTI Department- Pan African University | African Union Commission | E-mail: BilampassiC@africa-union.org | Tel: +251 11 518 2014/ +251 11 5182518 |
