18 February: President Sahle-Work Zewde will address African leaders at a high-level AU event
Her Excellency Sahle-Work Zewde, Chair of the International Commission on the Futures of Education and President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, will address African leaders on 18 February at a high-level side event on the margins of the 36th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly with Heads of States and Governments of AU Member States, Ministers of Education, development partners, civil society and youth representatives.
This high-level side event will launch the joint UNESCO–AU continental report, Education in Africa: Placing equity at the heart of policy, a framework for the transformation of education and training systems on the continent, contributing to efforts to achieve shared goals set out by the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2016-25.
The meeting will also cast light on the report from the International Commission on the Futures of Education, Reimagining our Futures Together: A new social contract for education. It will invite African leaders to rethink the purpose, content, and delivery of education, so the continent thrives into the future. In her capacity as Chair of the International Commission on the Futures of Education, H.E President Sahle-Work Zewde will echo the call for the profound renewal of education and knowledge systems that will help develop individual and collective capacity to shape more just and sustainable African futures.
While ‘Equity at the heart of policy’ will be the central theme of this high-level UNESCO-AU event, it bears noting that equity starts with the recognition of the persistent educational exclusions of the most vulnerable. There can be no renewal of education without addressing the root causes of social exclusion. As outlined in the CESA report, exclusion from education in Africa remains stark. Past injustices need to be addressed and corrected. The report from the International Commission on the Futures of Education is clear in that respect: “if education is to help transform the future, it must first become more inclusive by addressing past injustices.”
This high-level event will be held in Addis-Ababa under the auspices of the African Union on 18 February, 8:30–9:40am local time.
Please click here to see the agenda for the event.