Aide memoire of the ad hoc expert group meeting on curricula reform for development and self- confidence building in Africa : 18-21 October 1993 Addis Ababa Ethiopia

UNITED MATIB

ECONOMIC COMMlSSilON FOR AFRICA Public Administration, Human Resources

and Social Development Division

Ad

HOG

Expert Group Meeting on Curricula Reform for Development and Self-Confidence

in Africa

18-21 October 1993, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

October 1993

1. Background and Rationale of the Meeting

There is a general perception that the educationai systems in Africa suffer from many deficiencies including under funding of educational programmes and institutions, overloaded educationai infrastructure; inadequate educational facilities, equipment and textbooks; shortage of qualified teachers; unrealistic remuneration levels for educational staff, employment of unqualified teachers leading to low quality of education and educational standards;

proliferation of the problem of graduate unemployment and a glaring mismatch between the products of the educational system and the requirements of the labour market.

Equally critical is the perception that the educational systems have failed to equip the products of the system with the knowledge, skills and attitudes so crucial for the process of development and transformation, the building and inculcation of the qualities of self-confidence, self-reliance, self-discipline and the fostering of the spirit of peace, solidarity and reconciliation.

it is these deficiencies and concerns and the need for a reformed educationai systems to respond to emerging development challenges and to foster self confidence and seif- reliance that has prompted the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa to take the initiative to bring together experts and specialists in the field of education as well as representativesof various associationsand UN and other agencies to this ad-hoc experts group meeting.

In particular the specific obiectives of the meeting, which is organized within ECA's Programme of Work and Priorities, are to:

1. Evaluate past attempts at curricula reform in Africa and the effectiveness of these attempts to:

(1) meet the requirements of socio- economic development and the challenges of socio-economic transformation in Africa; and

(ii) foster the qualities of self-confidence.

2. Formulate an action plan to reform education curricula to make them more responsive to:

(i) development needs and challenges; and

(ii) inculcate the values of self-confidence and confidence in indigenous capabitnies; self- reliance; national and regional solldaiity and national tolerance and cohesion.

3. As part of that plan of action, identify practical modalities for follow-up action to ensure the effective ^, implementation of the plan; evaluation of its results;

enhancement of cooperation among organizations, associations and educational institutions as regards networking, exchange of experiences, Ideas and information; and training in curricula development and evaluation for the successful implementation of the plan.

11. Themes

Deliberatlonsat the meeting will centre around the following four themes:

1. Evaluation of Past Attempts Towards Curricula Reform in Africa for Development and Transformation;

2. Evaluation of Past Attempts at Curricula Deveiopment for Confidence Building in Africa;

3. Country experiences in Confidence Building in School Curricula;

4. Towards a Plan of Action for Curricula Reform for Development and Transformation and Confidence Building in Africa.

Ill. Qut~ut of the Meeting

Based on the critical evaluation of past attempts at curricula reform. the experts meeting is required to prepare a Plan of Action:

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proposing ways and means of refofming curricula to respond effectively to development needs and the challenge of socio-economic transformation; and

(11) fostering the qualities of self-confidence; self-reliance;

national and regional solidarity; and national tolerance and cohesion; and

rapid changes vim: political, social, economic and technological. How is education responding to these?

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Measures taken by the Government both present and future, in orienting education to national development priorities particularly in:

O the scientific and technological fields;

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environmental education;

O gender education vis a vis women's role in development;

O literacy programmes and activities;

O education for peace and health education with emphasis on the dangers of aids.

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Your conclusion should highlight some of the malor recommendations needed in your country to make education more responsive to individual and national development needs.

(iii) identifying modalities for follow-up, monitoring, co- ordination and networking.

IV. Documentation

The following papers have been prepared as background to the deliberations at the meeting:

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_A Review and Analysis of Past Attempts towards Curricula Reforms for Socio-Economic Development in Africa;

A Review and Analysis of Past Attempts towards Curriculum Reform for Socio-Economic Development in Africa: The Experience of UNESCO;

Curricuium Deveiopment and Evaluation for Socio- Economic Development in Africa: The Experience of the African Curricuium Organization;

Curriculum Development for Promoting Self- Confidence in Africa;

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Attitude Formation and Curriculum Development;

- Assessment of Confidence Building Factors in School Curricula.

- Curriculum Reform for the Promotion of Science and Technology Development in Africa.

To complement these documents, the participating experts are required to bring with them copies of a status reports assessing their country experiences at curricula reform for deveiopment and confidence building. (Brief guidelines for the preparation of these country reports appears as Annex I to this Aide-Memoire.)

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Participation

Participants of this meeting wiil be drawn from institutes of education, curriculum development centreslunits, research institutions; institutions of higher learning in Africa; colleges;

teacher training institutions, examination counciis/boards, ministries of education, and other institutions. Participants should therefore, be educationlsenior education officers, teacher educators, curriculum developers and evaluators, educational planners, educational administrators; examination officers, inspectors of schools, lecturers, scholars and academics.

Experts from the United Nations agencieslorganizations;

international organizations as well as voluntary and non- governmental organizations i.e. organizations such as UNESCO, 110, UNICEF, OAU, ADB, AAU, AALAE, the World Bank, the Association of African Universities, the African Curriculum Organization (ACO); the African Association for Training and Development (AATD), DSE etc, wiil also participate at the meeting.

VI. Date and Venue

The ad hoc experts group meeting is scheduled to take piace at Africa Hail, Addis Ababa from 18 to 21 October 1993, under the auspices of the Public Administration, Human Resources and Social Development Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

VII. Further Enquiries

Enquiries and confirmation of participation should be direct to:

Dr. Sadig Rasheed Director

Public Administration, Human Resources and Social Development Division

P . 8 . Box 3001 Addis Ababa Ethiopla

Tel. No. (2511)51 72 00 Ext. 486 Fax No. (2511)5i 44 16

Telex No. 21029 UNECA ET

Guidelines on the PreParation of Country We~ortsl Reviews on

%ssessment of Confidence Building Factors in School Curricula'

Below are guidelines on the preparation of a country reportlreview on 'Assessment of Confidence Building Factors in School Curricula' for an a d hoc experts group meeting to be held in Addis Ababa from 18

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21 October, 1993 to which you are invited to attend.

Your participation would be made more beneficial to the organizers and other participants of the meeting, if, prior to coming to Addis Ababa, you prepare a twelve to fifteen page report or review of the past and present performance of your educational system and the reforms which have taken or are taking place to re-orient your education to your development needs and priorities. In particular, your paper shouid focus on the internal and external efficiency of your educational system. In this regard, an assessment shouid be made about the content and relevance of curriculum to nationai development needs; the responsiveness of education programmes at the various levels of the education system to new deveiopment challenges and priorities; and the appropriateness of the curriculum to individual and development needs.

The report should therefore include:

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Level, content, quality and relevance of education at three levels to nationai deveiopment needs;

Educational goals, aims and objectives, how well articulated they are in consonance with national development goals and objectives;

- The co-ordination and harmonization of educational policies, goals and objectives with those of national development policies, goals and objectives;

Major educational and curriculum reforms, past, present and future, intended to make education relevant and responsive to national development needs;

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Quality of educational outputs in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes and their preparedness for the world of work and for living a productive life;

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Major constraints and challenges of education in terms of:

providing education to the growing school-age population;

lack of material and financial resources and increasing unit costs;

the present and future stock of teachers (a status review of the stock and proposed changes);