African experts on ICT and Education discuss UNESCO’s Futures of Education initiative at eLearning Africa 2019 – Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire

UNESCO introduced its flagship Futures of Education initiative and explained associated consultation modalities at the 14th edition of the eLearning Africa Conference, a large gathering of African decision makers and practitioners from education, business and government.

UNESCO received numerous commitments from NGOs and public and private sector organizations to share ideas and perspectives about the future of education. The commitments enlarge UNESCO’s growing network of consultation partners in line with its strategy to facilitate a global conversation about new directions and purposes for education, learning and knowledge.  

Participants voiced enthusiasm that President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia will chair the International Commission that is tasked with steering the new UNESCO initiative. In a question and answer session, participants encouraged UNESCO to maximize outreach to youth and avoid producing “another top-down visioning report”.  Several participants raised the need for UNESCO to articulate what average citizens and, not just governments, want and need from education.

UNESCO’s Futures of Education initiative was also discussed at the Ministerial Round Table meeting attended by current and former education ministers from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana and several other senior education representatives from African countries.

The eLearning Africa conference was held from 23 to 25 October 2019 in Abidjan.