Reform education system to address our challenges — Expert
A professor of International Education and Development, Kwame Akyeampong, has advocated education reforms in Africa that is driven by African perspectives and solutions rather than ideas from the global north.
"We need to have solutions to our problems from an African perspective. We should not allow education reforms to be driven by ideas from the global north," he stated.
The global north comprise North America, Europe, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Prof. Akyeampong was speaking at an international conference on education, development and innovation in Accra last Monday on the theme: “Education reforms in the global south: Lessons from the past, insights for the present.”
The global south is a group of 134 countries from Africa, Central and South America, Asia and Oceania.
The two-day conference was attended by experts, researchers and policymakers who shared insights and discussed emerging trends in education reforms.
It was organised by the EDULearn Service Ltd, a CSO, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the International Conference on Education, Development and Innovation (INCEDI).
Contextual relevance
Prof. Akyeampong further said that education reforms could be a transformative tool for development in Africa if they were informed by local knowledge and context.
"If we do that, then I think education reforms will really be a transformative tool for our development," he added.
Prof. Akyeampong cautioned against allowing external influences to drive education reforms in Africa.
Artificial Intelligence
A Senior Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) and Management Consultant, Dr Tony A. Bediako, who spoke on the topic: “The role of digital transformation in education: Challenges and opportunities for the global south,” said digital transformation in education required a holistic approach that considered the entire ecosystem, including students, teachers, parents, schools and policymakers.
"Digital transformation is not just about supplying students with tablets or technology, it's about transforming all the processes and business models in education, using technology to automate them," he said.
Dr Bediako pointed out the challenges of digital transformation in the global south, where infrastructure was lacking and internet access limited.
"In Ghana, for example, only those in big cities are enjoying internet services," he said.
Dr Bediako called on policymakers to prioritise internet infrastructure development and ensure that every part of the country was connected.
"We should accelerate the movement and make sure that every part of the country is connected," he added.
Dr Bediako said digital transformation in education could bring huge benefits, including efficiency and productivity.
Reforms
An education and development expert, Prof. Ato Essuman, also called on policymakers on the continent to consider the unique contexts of their education systems when designing reforms.
This approach, he said, would help ensure that education reforms were tailored to the specific needs of their respective countries, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
"It is time to retell a new story that effective education reforms are about creating systems that are equitable, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of particular countries," Prof. Essuman added.
