[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

24 March 2006

The Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor, MP, will from Monday to Friday, 27 to 31 March, attend the Biennial meeting of Education in Africa in Libreville, Gabon.

More than 300 participants, including all ministers responsible for education and training in sub-Saharan Africa, all multilateral and bilateral co-operation agencies working in the education sector in Africa, African and international non-governmental organisations and community-based organisations, and education specialists from education ministries, universities, research institutions and networks are expected to attend the meeting.

ADEA, was created as a forum for donors in 1988, but has since grown over the years and now has a unique membership, comprising all the Ministers of Education in sub-Saharan Africa, regardless of linguistic or geographic region.

The theme of the 2006 Biennale is: Effective learning, and effective education and training systems.

While significant progress has been made in terms of access to schooling in Africa (currently nine out of 10 children begin school), repetition and drop-out rates remain extremely high, and primary school completion rates and acquisitions levels very low. The ADEA Steering Committee has after consultation will all African Ministers of Education, agreed to pursue policy dialogue on the improvement of quality in education by articulating it to the theme and objective of reinforcing the effectiveness of learning, as well as that of education and training systems.

The ADEA meeting will, among others, discuss the following:

* the action plan of the African Union with regard to the education sector
* the priorities and strategic objectives of ADEA for the period 2007-2011
* election of the Bureau of African Ministers who will be part of ADEA’s Steering Committee for a period of two years
* effective schools, literacy programmes and
* early childhood development programmes

The official opening ceremony is on 27 March 2006 and will be chaired by the President of the Republic of Gabon, Pres El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, and his counterpart, President Pedro Pires, President of the Republic of Cape Verde.

Other guest include the Prime Minister of the Republic of Namibia, Mr Nahas Angula, and Mr Wole Soyinka, winner of the 1986 Noble Prize in Literature, and Mr Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairman of the African Union Commission.

Enquiries: Tommy Makhode
Ministerial spokesperson
Cell: 082 566 0446
Tel: (012) 328 7529
E-mail: makhode.t@doe.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Education
24 March 2006