Africa in Need of Education Revolution

The smart minds of Africa believe that the young children of today will form Africa’s future in the times to come. But that shall only be possible if the young people of today shall have the skills to do so. This shall only be possible if Africa undergoes a total entrepreneurial and knowledge revolution.

Until and unless there will be a proper workforce and entrepreneurial class will possess the skills and the zeal to grow and make a difference, this will only be a dream. The majority of people in Africa are of this view. Also in July 2018 when the French President Emmanuel Macron visited Nigeria, he commented that only hardwork and dedication among the young entrepreneurs will change the country and transform the world. Even when Mark Zuckerberg visited Co- creation hub in 2016, he was highly impressed by the energy depicted by the young innovators and he was of the view that this zeal and energy can only work up in the appropriate manner if an education revolution takes place in Africa. It is indeed important to impart education to all the young minds so that they can be the bright shining stars of Africa. Although it is crucial but transforming Africa’s education system is a big challenge indeed. The number of children going to school presently are far more than those who were going to school earlier still there are many more young minds who have not yet been exposed to education as yet. If this situation continues in the similar fashion then soon about 1/3^rd of the Africa’s young population will lack basic proficiency in maths, reading, and other subjects. As per the data of the World Economic Forum, Africa requires another one million university-trained researchers to combat its most pressing health, energy, and development challenges. Technology has definitely undergone a transformation but the modern workplace, and curricula, modes of learning and instruction, and teacher quality all are continuously lagging. Even good schools show a gap between the skills students need – like critical thinking and problem solving – and what they are being taught. Unless such shortcomings are resolved, Africa’s future workforce will be unable to lead the type of change many are expecting. This challenge is not just with Africa but also with many other countries. According to a 2016 report by the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity (the Education Commission), half the world’s school-age population – will graduate or drop out of school without the skills to secure a decent job. Indeed this is a global problem which requires immediate resolution.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/10/africa-s-future-depends-on-improving-education/