The 2025 Triennale of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) opened in Accra yesterday with a call on African leaders to build resilient education systems capable of meeting 21st-century demands.
The three-day meeting, which is being hosted in Ghana for the first time, is under the theme: “Strengthening the Resilience of Africa’s Educational Systems: Advancing Towards Ending Learning Poverty by 2035 with a Well-Educated and Skilled Workforce for the Continent and Beyond.”
It is being attended by Ministers of Education from across the continent, development partners, academics, researchers, and funders from across Africa to deliberate on challenges facing the continent in delivering quality education.
Opening the conference, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, stressed the need for the continent to prioritise building a resilient education system capable of meeting 21st-century demands.
This, he emphasised, was the only way the continent could end learning poverty and ensure sustainable development.
Mr Iddrisu expressed concern that there were over 100 million out-of-school children across the continent, stressing that African countries must move beyond discussions to concrete actions that ensure access, equity, and quality education for all.
“I challenge colleague Ministers and other participants to interrogate how Africa can address the challenge of over 100 million out-of-school children across the continent. Participants should explore cutting-edge solutions that will help address learning poverty, promote learning gains, ensure equity, and co-create robust, inclusive, and adaptable education systems that empower every learner to thrive,” he urged.
He said Africa must rise to the challenge of transforming its education sector to secure a sustainable and inclusive future.
Mr Iddrisu described the gathering as a critical platform for Africa to rethink education delivery, promote collaboration, and adopt innovative solutions that would equip learners to thrive in an era driven by technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
According to him, Ghana’s educational development had been shaped by resilience, creativity, and determination. He emphasised that the country was shifting focus from access expansion to quality and inclusive education delivery.
The Minister further reaffirmed that foundational learning remained a top investment priority for the Ministry, supported by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).
According to him, Ghana’s approach includes curriculum review, teacher training, school leadership development, and the integration of digital technology in classroom instruction.
“The challenges are complex, but Ghana is committed to building strong partnerships that will provide both technical and funding support to transform foundational learning and position the country as a champion of digital-indexed education delivery in Africa,” he stated.
Moreover, Mr Haruna Iddrisu called for the development of an education system that instils pride in African identity and equips the youth with the mindset and skills to address socio-economic challenges on the continent.
He commended ADEA for creating a collaborative platform for policy dialogue and knowledge sharing, saying such partnerships were essential for Africa’s education transformation.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
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