26 African countries may miss 2015 EFA goals

Posted by admin Africa & World Politics Monday, April 23rd, 2012

The African Network Campaign on Education for All has raised the alarm that more than 26 African countries are likely to miss the Education for All 2015 target unless governments of member states demonstrate greater political will.

This comes as African ministers of education begin a week-long meeting in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, today (Monday).

Programme Manager, ANCEFA, Mr. Waruku Boaz, said this while answering questions from journalists at a pre-conference event on Friday.

He said over 26 African countries are going to miss the 2015 target because they were yet to “translate what they committed on paper to action.”

Civil society organisations with interest in education issues across Africa have converged on Abuja, ahead of the 5th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union which begins today.

The groups are prepared to make imputes into COMEDAF V’s attempt to identify policy issues and strategise on how to accelerate the achievement of all six EFA goals within the next three years.

Boaz noted that one major impediment to the attainment of the EFA goals was the refusal of many African countries to prioritise education especially in their budgeting process.

He said, “There is also the situation of really taking political responsibility to ensure that Education for All (EFA) is really adopted. There are some governments that still do not consider EFA as a framework that would enable Africa to develop.

“But we are saying those commitments we really need to be pushed collectively so we can achieve the six goals.

“There are certain basic deliverables they should have delivered by now but seven years on we are yet to see concrete results.”

Chairman of the Civil Society Action Coalition for Education for All, Aboki Nawani, said Nigeria was at a time thought to be making progress.

He said the current situation on the ground in Nigeria may necessitate the need to move the target from 2015 to2020.

Nwani said, “Our children are failing in their examinations, we do not have quality teachers in the classrooms, we find that even government itself in its policy direction doesn’t seem to understand where it wants to go, there are too many policies in a short period.”

-Punchwp_posts