Investing in Education in Africa
In a previous article, I wrote about the launch conference of the NOVAFRICA center held at the beginning of September and attended by the Dean and Deputy Dean of the Faculdade de Economia da Universidade Agostinho Neto (FECUAN) from Luanda, professors Fausto Carvalho Simões and João Ferreira. The purpose of this meeting was to promote a broader discussion of ideas about how best to promote sustainable economic development in Africa. One of the main ideas that came out of this meeting was the need of continue to make more and more investments in education in Africa.
In the last decade in particular has been seen very significant improvements in educational levels of sub-Saharan Africa, especially in terms of primary education. The challenge is to continue this progress, further increasing the quality of education and make it fruitful in terms of secondary and higher education. In particular, it should ensure that young people who benefit from this educational investment may have jobs that allow them to multiply the wealth of their countries in Africa and advance multiple indicators of human development.
Ideas to develop educational goals
One of the specific ideas advanced by international experts in the field of education during the NOVAFRICA conference, was the idea of promote the involvement of local communities in monitoring and continuous improvement of the quality of primary education. Even in a context where levels of enrollment in primary education are already substantial in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, it is important that the involvement and participation of parents and community education be promoted so as to promote an increase in the quality and effectiveness of teaching. According to the study presented at the NOVAFRICA conference about the experience of Uganda, this type of activity was basically productive in terms of indicators of learning and also the attendance of students and teachers. The explanation made by the researchers responsible for this study is that community involvement in the educational process not only contributes to a general improvement of levels of information on all school processes, but contributes to a particularly important way to create a sense of membership and collective capacity for change that actually generates improvements in the education system.
Another innovative proposals for educational development in Africa was the promotion of pre-primary education. The researchers responsible for the study presented at the NOVAFRICA conference show how the organization of a network of Community Preschool low cost (for children from 3 to 6 years) can significantly benefit the lives of children and their families, even in rural areas and low income. In the case of the province of Gaza, Mozambique, such a program could not only improve the skills of learning and preparation for primary school children who attend this school system, but also increase the rate of enrollment in primary education of these children and his older brothers, as well as increase the rate of labor participation of the people responsible for these children. This and other studies will demonstrate that the effect of such innovations in terms of pre-primary education, which many might consider not priority and too expensive for the public purse, can make a lot of sense to contribute not only to improve the quality effective primary education, but also to complete the universalisation of primary education in the poorest parts of Africa.
Progress and challenges for Angola
Like other countries in sub-Saharan Africa in Angola also has been progress in primary education and combating illiteracy that have been incidentally stated objectives of government policy of education in the country. Simultaneously, there has been considerable development in higher education and vocational training, the Nova School of Business and Economics is proud to be part both through Nova – Angola Business School, as its partnership with the Faculdade de Economia da Universidade Agostinho Neto.
The Nova School of Business and Economics is recognized internationally as the best business school in Portugal and belongs to the group of the 30 best business schools in Europe, according to the international ranking of British business newspaper, Financial Times. Its reputation and experience are made available every day to students from Angola Business School, where the courses are not imported, but adapted to the local reality and guided by the highest degree of care and rigor in the assessment. In addition to these activities, the Fellow@Nova SBE Program from the Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE, that Nova – Angola Business School is a part of) and the Faculdade de Economia da University Agostinho Neto, has been promoting the participation of FECUAN teachers in the activities of Nova SBE in Lisbon, and, in reverse, in the near future, also the participation of teachers of Nova SBE in seminars and conferences co-organized by the NOVAFRICA center and FECUAN in Luanda.
This whole set of activities dedicated to the educational development and capacity building business in Angola, makes us hope for the future and think that generations of young Angolans today may lead to development of Angola smiling and participated by all.
In Mundos de Angola for Jornal Sol de Angola
Written by Cátia Batista, Executive Director of the NOVAFRICA Center | Assistant Professor of Economics at the Nova School of Business and Economics.