Douala: Stakeholders assess level of implementing transformation of education system.

It was co-organised by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, and the government of Cameroon, through the Ministry of Basic Education. 

Experts based their discussions on the theme: "Promoting the Transformation of Education in Central Africa: Strengthening the central and catalyst role of teachers and Educators".

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Director of UNESCO's Regional Office for Central Africa, Hilaire Mputu, said the choice of Cameroon to host the workshop was justified not because the country is home to the headquarters of the UNESCO Regional Office for Central Africa, but also due to the generosity of the government to the organization. 

He said the choice of theme is part of UNESCO's mission to support Member States in their efforts to fulfill the commitments made in New York in 2022 at the 'High-Level' Summit on Education Transformation. 

He noted that UNESCO, as the United Nations specialised agency for education, was entrusted with the role of supporting countries in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SDG 4, including through technical assistance to countries in transforming their education systems.

The concept of transformation, Mputu noted, stems from a diagnosis that the global education system is failing to provide quality lifelong learning for all, nor to address contemporary challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, accelerating digital revolution, growing inequality, democratic backsliding, devastating pandemics, insecurity, injustice, among others.  

Thus, the resolution adopted at the New York Summit—to transform education—means that education systems must reinvent themselves to adapt to emerging needs and challenges so that the lessons taught are relevant and useful for learners and society.

Levers for transformation of education 

Based on a rigorous assessment of these challenges, the experts had identified five key levers for successfully transforming education systems. The first lever, consists of ensuring that schools are inclusive, equitable, safe, and healthy in order to guarantee all learners unhindered access to and participation in quality education, free from violence and discrimination. 

This lever, it was said, is particularly important for the Central African sub region, where it is estimated that nearly 14 million school-age children and youth are not in school. It essentially addresses the challenge of inclusion. 

Though most countries are said to have already had the net enrollment rates exceeding 90%, the last five to 10% of children to be enrolled in school are the hardest to reach, as they are often children from the poorest families, children with disabilities, or indigenous peoples whose education requires specific and more costly strategies. 

"Even indigenous peoples are still being educated, requiring specific and more costly strategies," Mputu said.

The second lever relates to the level of learning and skills for life, work, and sustainable development. This involves ensuring that all learners are equipped with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes that enable them to be resilient, adaptable, and prepared for an uncertain future, while contributing to human and planetary well-being and sustainable development.

To achieve this, expats say, emphasis must be placed on the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy, education for sustainable development, as well as the skills needed to find employment and develop entrepreneurship. 

For Central African countries, this challenge can be illustrated by the low completion rates and the low level of educational achievement. It is estimated that in Central Africa, only seven out of 10 children complete primary school, and of these, only four out of 10 complete lower secondary school. 
Furthermore, it was disclosed that basic reading and mathematics skills remain very low, with only 14% and 6% of students, respectively, having basic skills in these subjects by the end of primary school.

The third lever concerns teachers, teaching, and the teaching profession. While everyone agrees on the crucial role of teachers in improving learning outcomes, achieving SDG 4, and transforming education, it is also recognised that these educational personnel continue to face four major challenges: a shortage of qualified teachers; a lack of professional development opportunities; precarious status and working conditions; and a limited capacity to develop teacher leadership, autonomy, and innovation.

Concerning teacher shortage, it is estimated that Central Africa will need 4.1 million teachers to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030. This represents 25% of the teacher needs for 2030 across all of sub-Saharan Africa.

Meanwhile, the fourth lever is based on the exploitation of technology and digitalisation for educational purposes. Despite the unprecedented development of digital technologies, the digital divide persists and constitutes a major factor of exclusion in learning, depriving many school-age children of the benefits and opportunities offered by digitalisation. 

UNESCO therefore recommends that investment and action in digital learning be guided by three fundamental principles: focus on the most marginalised; provide free and high-quality digital educational content; and promote pedagogical innovation and transformation. 

Experts suggest that efforts should also aim to regulate and ensure content quality, control or anticipate long-term costs, including environmental costs, and produce reliable data and indicators, particularly for Africa, where there is a critical lack of reliable data on the use of digital technologies for educational purposes.

The fifth lever focuses on financing. Experts noted that despite remarkable efforts by countries to increase education spending, it remains hampered by strong population growth and the reallocation of funds to other emergencies, particularly in countries affected by political and security crises.

Education re-bounce ensured after COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic, experts said, has had a detrimental impact on education systems worldwide. Africa has not been spared, not even Cameroon.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, the Minister of Basic Education, Prof Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa, highlighted key measures the government has taken to ensure a re-bounce in education on the post-COVID-19 era. 

Notably, he said, Cameroon has taken engagements following the summit, efforts have been made to reduce the deficit of teachers with 4,000 teachers each year recruited since six years. In university, colleges the recruitment is yearly with at least 1,000 teachers.

Minister Etoundi Ngoa said it was to ensure access to quality education that Cameroon set up at least a university in each of its Regions with Centre having two. The policy, he said "is in coherence with Strategic Development Goals, SND30". 

However, he was cognizant of the fact that, despite advancements, "much still needs to be done and this can be achieved through the logic of a regional conclaves like this.

“This is an occasion of sharing experiences and examining prospects. Let all work together as experts. Three years later, it is normal for our sub-region to have benefited from UNESCO's contribution to convene this Evaluation Forum," he said. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3459 of Friday May 30, 2025