Speaker of the House of Representatives Notes the Close Link between Education and the Development of Africa

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami, stressed on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at the Seat of the  Pan-African Parliament in Midrand that Africa's development is closely linked to education, which should open prospects for African youth and give them hope for the future, dignity, employment, and improved living conditions.

In a document published on the sidelines of the 12th Conference of Speakers of Parliament, which takes place within the framework of the September session of the Pan-African Parliament, Hon. Rachid Talbi El Alami highlighted that his participation in this meeting is an expression of the keenness of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco to contribute with ideas, opinions, and proposals to strengthen joint African action and develop African institutions.

“We agree that education is today the central issue for our continent after peace and stability,” he said, praising the African Parliament's choice of the slogan “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives emphasized that education, in addition to being a fundamental human right, “is the sine qua non of development and the main lever for strengthening democracy and participation based on informed choice.”

He added, “There is no doubt that the necessary step to reform education in Africa starts with a diagnosis of the state of this sector and this public service, in terms of structures, needs, human and financial resources, and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of this vital sector.”

He also explained that the principles of educational policies are at the heart of equity, fundamental rights, and governance, such as the democratization of educational services, which ensures universal access to this public service and makes schools, high schools, and universities open to all.

It is also about “universalizing education for all spectra of society and all territorial areas of a country, in terms of infrastructure, capacity, and human resources, as well as short, medium, and long term planning and setting goals that take into account demographic shifts, economic shifts, and changes in services in our countries,” he said.

“Against these stakes, we certainly face major challenges as we seek to develop our educational systems,” said Hon. Talbi El Alami, noting that at the forefront of these challenges is “the obstacle of financing education, which constitutes a significant proportion of public spending in our countries, which requires creativity and optimization in the provision of financial resources.”

In this regard, he stressed the need to incentivize the African private sector to finance public education within the framework of partnerships and mutual commitments, and in the form of joint investment between the public and private sectors, calling for “putting education at the center of partnerships and cooperation programs that bring together our countries, especially those in need of resources, and at the center of the agreements and projects that are implemented.”

He also stressed the importance of seeking to create joint African universities, training institutes, and think tanks that think, propose, and reason across borders.

The second challenge is related to “the availability of human resources entrusted with education, training, and teaching, and the training of teachers,” he said, calling in this regard to facilitate the flow and exchange of teachers between African countries, and the training of teachers outside countries that do not have sufficient training facilities.

He also called for curbing the brain drain outside the continent in exchange for providing an enabling environment in terms of scientific research facilities, favorable and attractive working conditions, and appropriate incentives.

The third challenge is related to “the extent to which our educational systems are able to take advantage of the enormous technological development in the world and artificial intelligence to provide learning services consistent with our conditions and cultures.”

He concluded by stressing the need for African parliamentarians to advocate for making inventions and technologies available at a reasonable, and sometimes symbolic, cost, stressing that “technological development and its gains are the result of the contribution of different and successive civilizations and cultures, which means that in one way or another, it is a human product and an asset for all mankind.”

(Translated and adapted from MAP)