2-2. Achieving MDGs [Economic and Social dimension of "human security"] – Education –
Actions to be taken in the next 5 years under the TICAD Process（Yokohama Action Plan）
The TICAD process in respect of the commitments and actions made by African countries, will focus on the African efforts as follows:
- (1) Basic education – expansion of access and quality
- (2) Post basic education and higher education/research
- (3) Multi-sectoral approach
- (4) Education management
Principal measures taken under the TICAD process up to February 2009
Education
Out of the total target amount of grant aid and technical assistance (JPY 44 billion) over five years in the field of education, at least JPY 2.71 billion (6.2 %) has been committed (E/N base): thirty-six grant aid cooperation projects and five technical assistance projects were initiated.
Basic Education
Out of the total target to construct 1,000 schools comprising approximately 5,500 classrooms, projects to construct not less than 113 primary and secondary schools (by grant aid 11.3% of total ) and 591 classrooms (10.75% of total) have already been initiated. Progress has also been recorded in programs aimed at improving school-management in western Africa, and those designed to build capacity through teacher training in the area of math and science education in Africa.
In ten target countries, programs have been initiated aimed at expanding access to quality primary education through school-fee-abolition policies and other measures to address household-cost barriers to education. Assistance has been expanded to fifty-five countries. In addition, out of twenty-two identified countries targeted for the implementation of “literacy for empowerment” initiatives, fourteen have already received detailed proposals.
Post basic education and higher education / research
Out of the total target number of 500 Japanese scholarship students from African countries, 160 students (32 % of the total) have been accepted thus far. Three technical assistance projects in three countries have been initiated, designed to promote, over a 5-year period, joint international research into global issues confronting African countries. As for South-South cooperation, fifteen experts were dispatched to African countries to support the writing of school text books, and five scholarship offers were proposed.
The first Japan-Africa Science and Technology Minister’s Meeting was held, in Japan, with the participation of Ministers responsible for science and technology from 32 African countries, and representatives of the AU Commission and NEPAD Secretariat.
Future challenges
▪ Through ensuring safe drinking water, improved sanitation facilities and enhanced school feeding programs, the multi-sectoral approach and overall education management are expected to further enhance synergy between education and other related sectors.
▪ The promotion of measures including the collection and analysis of educational data is to be encouraged for the more effective and more efficient management of education.
▪ African countries are also encouraged to allocate sufficient national budgetary resources to the educational sector in order to facilitate the implementation of a more holistic approach to the development of education in Africa, to recall the significance of the “Second Decade of Education for Africa” adopted by the AU, and to support the attainment of full gender-equality in primary and secondary education in Africa, and to bridge the gender-gap in participation in maths, science and technology learning at tertiary level.
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