Panafrican conference of African Ministers of Finance and of Education aims to enhance education in national development strategies
TUNIS, Tunisia, July 13, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — An important conference of African Ministers of Finance and of Education on the theme “Sustaining the Education and Economic Momentum in Africa Amidst the Current Global Financial Crisis” is to be held at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Tunis, Tunisia, from 15 to 17 July 2009.
Some 50 Ministers from about 30 countries are expected to attend the Conference. They will
gather to consider an issue of major concern: how to maintain, against the backdrop of global
economic recession, the progress achieved in the education sector over the past decade while at
the same time ensure that investments in education help sustain and accelerate economic growth
and social development in Africa.
The conference is jointly organized by the Association for the Development of Education in
Africa (ADEA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank (WB) with the
support of the partners of the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI).
The current global economic downturn threatens to jeopardize the major advances in education
that many African countries have achieved, especially since 2000. It is putting pressure on public
budgets and private incomes in most countries. These developments make it harder for African
countries to mobilize the resources that are required, from both domestic and external sources, to
protect and boost investments in education, not only in primary education but also at the higher
levels. They also put at risk the efforts by African countries to forge a closer link between
education, particularly at the secondary and tertiary levels, and the economy. By equipping
people entering or already in the workforce with a range of skills for the modern economy,
particularly in science, technology and innovation, these efforts are essential for enhancing the Association for the Development of Education in Africa
SOURCE
African Development Bank (AfDB)
