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25 May 2000

I would like to apologize for my delay in entering into a dialogue with you. But this also has an advantage because my participation in the World Education Forum in Dakar offers me the opportunity to share with you very serious concerns regarding the development of education in Africa. In the final Dakar draft, the last paragraph says: "the Education For All 2000 Assessment highlights that the challenge of education for all is greatest in Sub-Saharan Africa, in South Asia and in the least developed counties. Accordingly, while no country in need should be denied international assistance, priority should be given to those two regions of the world. Countries in conflict or undergoing reconstruction should also be given special attention in building up their education systems to meet the needs of all learners."

Clearly, Africa is a top priority because it is there that school enrolment rates are lowest, education systems are the least effective, and this is also, unfortunately, the greatest number of conflicts and displaced persons, which affect mainly school-aged children. An assessment of the last decade comparing Africa to other regions of the world shows the following:

Net enrolment rates for primary education per region, 1990 and 1998:

• World: 80% and 84%
• Most developed regions: 97% and 98%
• Least developed regions: 78% and 82%
• Sub-Saharan Africa: 54% and 60%

(Source: EFA statistical document, 2000)

I certainly do not wish to elaborate on the problems of the education systems of the continent, which are well known. But 10 years after the Jomtien Commitments, the numbers continue to be weak and qualitative results even weaker. The alarm must be sounded, and perhaps the problem must be approached differently. So many topics have been examined and reexamined through general assemblies, regional and national consultations, during discussions with development partners: decision-makers' commitment, adequate resource allocation, teacher training, availability of materials and equipment, community participation, and eventually a wider use of information technologies.

These issues have been endlessly debated and yet, disparities between SSA and other regions, within countries, between urban and rural regions, between boys and girls continue to be important.

What are the issues? They are many and multi-faceted, but I will limit myself to the two which, in my view, must be discussed and addressed first and foremost:

1. Real and conscious commitment on the part of decision-makers;
2. Coherence between education systems and social and cultural systems

1. Real and conscious commitment on behalf of decision-makers

Many African countries nowadays seem to have established systems that meet democratic criteria: a multi-party system, elections which are organized with a certain degree of transparency (at least with external observers), a private press (which is sometimes suppressed), etc. But in building a democratic system, it often seems that form takes precedence over substance.

For instance, legislative elections take place, a national assembly is established, parliamentary groups and technical committees are constituted, bills are debated and adopted, but a closer look reveals that most people lack the capacities and basic skills needed to take informed decisions about these topics and laws.

Nobody is contesting the need for governance or majority participation in decision-making, but it is important to ensure the means for a qualitative participation, not only participation by the greatest possible number. There is a very urgent and important need to build and establish the necessary skills in order to be able to judge for instance the merits of a financial bill, or a bill on education.

It is extremely important that decision-makers at this level be well informed and well versed in those questions which they must decide on. Governance does not limit itself to participatory elections, but also involves an enlightened contribution to decision-making. Governance might start with the elections, but it asserts itself through political, economic, cultural and educational governance.

Another example concerns decentralization, where we are confronted by two types of problems: There is the question of the State itself, which is often so disorganized in our countries, so weak, so lacking in capacities, that one wonders what we are really trying to decentralize.The other problem is: if we decentralize (assuming that we have a State which is able to do so), towards whom are we going to decentralize? Very often structures are created, local representatives are in place, but the new skills needed to make decentralization effective do not exist.

In both cases, what is mainly lacking is not a commitment on the part of leaders who, in some instances demonstrate their desire for free and transparent elections and for decentralization. Rather, the problem is a lack of understanding and an overall approach which would allow both the form and substance to be addressed. And very often, questions of substance, training, putting competencies into place, which are more complex and geared towards the long run, are quickly set aside for a more shallow aspect whose durability and sustainability are very fragile. It is now becoming imperative to ensure adequate training for decision-makers, both in the upper level and at the bottom of the pyramid.

2. Coherence between the education systems and the social and cultural systems.

The imported school, which separates the child from the Community, has often been criticized. Many countries are trying to link the school to the children's culture. Speeches and programs made the effort to reflect this necessity, but very often, the measures taken in order to achieve that goal were not sufficient. First, it is important to understand how deeply cultural backgrounds, learning tools, etc. are rooted in society. It is in fact indispensable to recognize existing strengths and qualities within communities and cultures.

This recognition and understanding imply the taking into account of a first point of entry, which is the vehicle for transmitting knowledge, the children's native or first language. This vehicle not only allows the child to assimilate new knowledge without the trauma of a foreign language, but also maintains the equilibrium between him or her and the community. How many countries do really and systematically apply a national language policy in the formal system today, in spite of all the fancy speeches? And the capacity of the African languages cannot be used as a pretext, because this is not the real issue.

Another aspect concerns community participation in planning and implementing programs and curricula. It is essential to integrate teachers in the environment, (starting with their training) because they constitute a true resource for community development. In short, school management by the community is an acute question. It does not limit itself to participation in constructing buildings or payment of teachers' salaries.Only in this manner can a school be progressively built which addresses not only the needs of the base, but also the whole society, while remaining oriented towards a more global world.

I could have examined macroeconomic topics, the poverty issue (in spite of the fact that Africa is a very rich continent), adjustment policies, conflicts, AIDS, etc. The existence of scourges and negative or destabilizing factors is undeniable, but I believe it is high time for African countries to become more serious about what they really want and to achieve it responsibly. There are no miracles anywhere. Human resources are the only true wealth, the one that resists, endures, and allows other problems to be solved. What our continent needs most nowadays are resolute women and men, who are trained at all levels.

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