9/20/20151 PROBLEMS WITH AFRICAN EDUCATION: OBSTACLES, OPPORTUNITIES AND NEW MODELS FOR CHANGE Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede President, Association of Africa

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PROBLEMS WITH AFRICAN EDUCATION: PROBLEMS WITH AFRICAN EDUCATION: OBSTACLES, OPPORTUNITIES AND NEW MODELS OBSTACLES, OPPORTUNITIES AND NEW MODELS

FOR CHANGEFOR CHANGE

Prof. Prof. Is-haqIs-haq O. Oloyede O. OloyedePresident, Association of Africa Universities (AAU), & President, Association of Africa Universities (AAU), & Vice-Chancellor , University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria Vice-Chancellor , University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

www.aau.org www.aau.org www.unilorin.edu.ng www.unilorin.edu.ng [email protected]@unilorin.edu.ng

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OVERVIEW OF THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND FORMAL EDUCATION

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN AFRICA

HOW AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS SHOULD ADAPT TO THE CHANGING EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE

LOOKING AHEAD: FUTURE CHALLENGES

PRESENTATION OUTLINE PRESENTATION OUTLINE

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THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND FORMAL THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND FORMAL EDUCATIONEDUCATION

Education generally refers to formal training and instruction leading to acquisition of knowledge and skills development.

Education broadens one’s horizon and gives a better understanding of the world around him/her and how things work.

Africa needs education as it is the basis of modern civilization.

Education reduces social and economic disparity, allowing progress to be equally shared.

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FORMAL EDUCATION FORMAL EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY CONTD.PHILOSOPHY CONTD. Advancements in all fields, including

science and technology are made possible through education.

Studies indicate that educated people have longer life expectancies; tend to exercise more and play more sports; and understand the implications of diet and lifestyle on their health enabling them to make healthy choices.

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On an average, educated people have jobs that are more meaningful and interesting than those held by uneducated people and are usually in a position to make decisions at work. This results in higher job satisfaction that often also contributes to better quality of life.

The importance of education is emphasized through these words of US President Barack Obama:

FORMAL EDUCATION FORMAL EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY CONTD.PHILOSOPHY CONTD.

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“In an economy where knowledge is the most valuable commodity a person and a country have to offer, the

best jobs will go to the best educated” (Address to the Department of Education - 25 July, 2009).


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Educated people generally have higher self-esteem; their lives are more planned and thus they have more direction; and they have better problems solving skills, and are consequently better equipped to handle everyday decisions.

Children of educated parents are more likely to receive an education and have higher cognitive development, than children of uneducated parents.


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Educated people are in a better position to contribute more positively to society and even towards the planet, as they understand the implications of their choices and actions.

Education is tied to learning, preparation for wise leadership and personal achievement, and opening of the mind to new ideas.


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Undoubtedly, knowledge is a key driver of growth and development. All countries with higher skill levels are better equipped to face new challenges and master technological discoveries.

Contemporary African HEIs are the result of a complex mix of past experiences and influences, from their colonial origins and Arabic influence, and their continued dependence on the ideas and practices in higher education in Europe and North America in the post-independence era.


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“The first universities in Africa were modeled very closely on European origins where the overall purpose of these institutions was to provide the necessary indigenous support staff for the colonial administration” (Akin Aina 1994:9).

This colonial legacy was characterized by, among other things, separation and alienation from the rural majority, and an overemphasis on the arts and humanities, with little attention for the sciences, technology, economics and other professional subjects.


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The European influence left a lasting impression on universities and other HEIs in Africa. Legacies from the pre-independence era still shape the structure and substance of African educational institutions in important ways.

After independence, national governments emphasized the role of universities in in the development process and africanization of the civil service.


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Whatever gains were made by African universities in the post-independence period were seriously challenged in the late 1970s when most African countries experienced sustained economic decline, accompanied in certain areas by drought, famine and severe ecological degradation, political instability, wars and conflicts, the debt crisis and the imposition of structural adjustment programmes.

The last few years have however witnessed renewed interest in African HEIs after nearly a whole generation of neglect.


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CHALLENGES FACING CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN AFRICAEDUCATION IN AFRICA

The purpose of education should be to empower the mind and soul to achieve its full potential. Educational systems in Africa have not fully achieved this purpose. What are the challenges facing education in Africa?

Generally, the quality of education has fallen with the phenomenal increases in enrollment at rates of 10-14% annually or doubling every 5-7 years - Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics in EdStats, November 2009).

Low budgetary allocation to education sector leading to poor infrastructure, low remuneration and brain drain

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School curricula not responsive to society’s needs

Corruption, ineptitude and nepotism Frequent strikes by both staff and students

leading to poor outputs Social vices and moral decadence

(including cultism)

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Generally, African HEIs are in a state of crisis characterized by, inter alia, diminishing financial resources, stagnation and deterioration of physical facilities, declining salaries and the brain-drain, incessant closure of many HEIs, and poor quality of teaching, learning and research.

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Increase in Enrollments: Creating more universities, technical schools and developing additional community colleges that would focus on preparing students for careers in applied and technical areas.

Promoting distance education especially for lower-income students or those needing to work while taking HE course work.

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Enhancing HE Systems and the Quality of Education: Because skills for the knowledge economy are built at

the tertiary or higher education level, improving tertiary education systems should be high on Africa’s development agenda. African HEIs should focus on revitalizing their institutions by, inter alia, training almost all academic staff to doctoral levels, recruiting and retaining quality staff, and establishing Quality Assurance units that ensure quality training and research.

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Increase in Budgetary Allocation: The amount of money voted for the education sector should be increased to enhance the quality of education (improving infrastructure, training and recruitment of qualified staff, increased remuneration, etc.)

Relevant Competencies: (1) Due to massive unemployment and production of graduates who are retrained in order to fit into the workforce of particular organizations, African HEIs should endeavour to train students to equip them with competencies that are demanded by public, private and NGO institutions.

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Field of study Distribution of graduates

(%)Agriculture 3Education 22Health science 7Engineering 9Sciences 9Social sciences and humanities

47

Other 3Total 100

Source: World Bank EdStats

Distribution of African University Graduates by Field of Study, 200

TABLE 1

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Relevant Competencies: (2) In our increasingly global environment, African educational institutions should revise their curricula to ensure that the graduates they produce must be able to develop and utilize new technology and adapt it to African contexts so that the advantages of new technologies can be meaningfully applied for the benefit of Africans.

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THE ROLE OF AAU:

In keeping with its mandate of being the representative voice of HEIs in Africa, AAU has supported African HEIs in responding to Africa’s societal problems through its many programmes and services.

Three examples are in order:

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THE ROLE OF AAU – Contd.

1. The Mobilizing Regional Capacity Initiative (MRCI)

The MRCI is a Challenge Fund for strengthening partnerships between the AAU and the main sub-regional and national bodies representing African HEIs as part of the drive for sustainable development of the continent. The goal of the MRCI Programme is to strengthen African HEIs to act as catalysts for poverty eradication and sustainable development.

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THE ROLE OF AAU – continued:Currently, AAU is funding 20 projects from

various parts of Africa (each up to a ceiling of £100,000) under the MRCI Programme. These projects, awarded between 2008 and 2010, are presently at various stages of completion.

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(2) RESEARCH & EDUCATION NETWORK UNIT (RENU):

Because the integration of ICT into teaching, learning, research, information dissemination and management activities has been a priority issue in African HE for many years, AAU facilitates national research and education networking, and supports collective action, especially in relation to increased access to cheaper connectivity across Africa through its Research and Education Networking Unit .

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(3) Academic Staff Exchange: AAU supports HEIs in their core functions of

teaching, learning , research and service to their communities by the exchange of academic staff (for teaching, graduate supervision, and collaborative research), thereby contributing to improvements in the quality of training and research in African HEIs. Since inception, more than 400 African academics have benefited from this programme of AAU.

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(3) Small Grants Programme:

The AAU Small Grants ($3,500 for PhD and $2,000 for Masters) for Theses and Dissertations Programme aims at facilitating the early completion of research dissertations and theses by graduate students in African universities, as well as to improve the quality of research conducted. 83 awards were made during 2006-2009 academic period.

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Qualified human capital remains scarce compared to Africa’s development needs. This situation hinders growth and undermines the foundation for sustainable development. Therefore, Africa’s tertiary education institutions and policy makers must ensure that the workforce acquires the necessary skills to compete, innovate, and respond to complex social, environmental, and economical situations.

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Poverty in Africa is pervasive, affecting all sectors of the economy, including education. Progress on beating Africa's massive poverty problems is not happening rapidly enough and without much greater effort from the global community it is clear that the Millennium Development Goals will not be met. More investments in education will be a challenge as the following table shows:

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Current expenditure on educationAs percent of government

resourcesAs percent of GDP

Region Early 1990s

Around 2003

Early 1990s Around 2003

Africa 19.3 18.2 3.1 3.3

Francophone

22.9 17.6 3.3 2.7

Anglophone

16.1 21.4 3.0 4.5

Source: World Bank 2008.

Changes in Public Expenditures on Education in Low-income Countries, 1990-2003

TABLE 2

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There will continue to be migration of education graduates from Africa to the developed countries. The current overstretched capacity of many African HEIs and, at the same time, the significant need for additional graduate degree holders in Africa, are likely to constitute stronger push and pull factors for African students to go overseas for graduate work.

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However, many people in the African Diaspora have significant commitments and interests to be engaged in African academic and development affairs.

Therefore, developing effective programs and policies, at both a national and institutional level, that provide incentives for graduates to stay in or return to Africa is imperative.

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Elements of these policies should include working out ways to include African professors living in the Diaspora to use their vacations and sabbaticals to teach in Africa, and developing institutional partnerships with HEIs where these professors could build research relationships with African professors or graduate students.

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Formal education is a productive investment for growing the economy and incomes of all individuals in a society. Additionally, Education is key for better health outcomes, opening opportunities to disadvantaged groups, alleviating poverty, improving the environment, fostering good governance, lowering crime rates and improving educational attainment for all levels of the education system. Consequently, investing in education is investing for positive change in Africa.

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I THANK YOU.

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9/20/20151 PROBLEMS WITH AFRICAN EDUCATION: OBSTACLES, OPPORTUNITIES AND NEW MODELS FOR CHANGE Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede President, Association of Africa