By Ndey Sowe
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) will organise the 3rd Africa Continental Conference on Curriculum, which will be hosted by the Gambia in partnership with UNESCO, IBE Geneva Office, African Curriculum Association, African Union and the Organization of Education Commission between the 23-26 May 2022.
In this regard, on Friday, May 6, 2022, MoBSE held a press briefing to inform the public about the forthcoming conference scheduled to be held at the Regional Education Directorate One Office in Kanifing.
The objective of the conference, according to officials, is to achieve a shared understanding of how the misalignment between school curriculum, teacher education, and learning assessment affects the quality of education.
It also aims to investigate the potential of technology and innovation in enhancing curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation, as well as elect new members of the ACA Executive Committee.
The aforesaid conference will bring together curriculum developers, implementers, education administrators, partners, teacher trainers, and other key stakeholders to discuss and find solutions to addressing some of the challenges in the educational system.
“The conference will allow participants to explore the potential of technology and innovations to enhance curriculum processes and products. It is in this context that the 3rd Africa Continental Conference on Curriculum is conceived, whereby participants will have the opportunity to reflect on the possible mismatch between the intended, the implemented, and the achieved curriculum,” said Momodou Jeng, Director of Curriculum, Research, Evaluation and Development Directorate (CREDD) at MoBSE.
Mr. Jeng also stated that the discussions are hoped to lead to recommendations on how Africa can make progress towards holistic, quality curricula and education using hybrid modes.
This, he said, will require many countries to redesign their national curriculum in order to prepare young people to addressing current and coming challenges.
Jeng said the conference will also provide an opportunity to consider the curricular implications of translating global goals into national context, adding that this will include discussions about the initiative and efforts of the conference’s co-organizer, as well as those of UNESCO National Commissions, UNESCO Headquarters and Field Offices, other line ministries, the national steering committees on SDGs, and the UN co-conveners of the Education 2030 Agenda, including the ILO, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women, UNHCR, and the World Bank.
The conference will bring together education experts, civil society, development partners, and research institutions, as well as private and corporate sector representatives from Africa and beyond. The goal is to build a dialogue in order to share experiences and best practices on curriculum-related issues and to forge a way forward for ensuring SDG 4 implantation. Two hundred and fifty 250 people are expected to attend.
All participants are required to register on this website: ACA Conference Registration (nust.na). The conference fee is USD 150 for presential participation and USD 50 for virtual participation. Contact: ACA Secretariat at [email protected].
