Africa - ADEA, Libreville, Gabon, 27 to 31 March 2006
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 ADEAâs
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
