The 3rd Continental Curriculum Conference kicks off today, May 23rd at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo.
The 4-day event is co-organised by the Africa Curriculum Association, UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education, the CESA Curriculum Cluster of the African Union, the Organisation of Educational Cooperation and Gambia Government through Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE).
"Through the conference, we hope to create a platform where policy makers, researchers, experts, practitioners, civil society and development partners will interact and come up with recommendations on the application of technology in facilitating the process of aligning school curriculum, teacher education and learning assessment in Africa,” Claudiana A. Cole, Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, made this remark ahead of the programme.
She said the occasion will as well allow stakeholders to suggest better ways of harnessing potential of technology and innovation in enhancing curriculum development, implementation and evaluation".
In an interview with this reporter, the Secretary General of the Organisation of Educational Cooperation, an inter-governmental organisation of the Global South, Mr. Mansoor Ibn Salam, underscored the importance of inclusivity in education, and the need to strengthen South-South Cooperation through proper regional integration. “This continental conference is absolutely central because Africa; just like Latin America, Asia, and the Arab world, needs to develop curricula that is indulgent and reflects its values, history, and aspirations”.
The discussions are hoped to lead to recommendations on how Africa can make progress towards holistic quality curricular and education using hybrid modes. This will require that many countries re-design their national curricula in order to prepare young people to critically address current and future challenges.