Education for All - Update

Africa’s regional action plan

"We envision the resurgence of a vibrant Africa, rich in its cultural diversity, history, languages and arts, … a democratic Africa.… a peaceful Africa … an enlightened Africa, [and] a prosperous Africa..."

These stirring words are taken from the regional Education for All Action Plan for Africa, currently being reviewed by African states.

The first draft of the plan was written by UNESCO Dakar and circulated in April. On the occasion of the Steering Committee of the Association for the Development of African Education (ADEA) in May, approval of EFA partners and regional organizations was obtained and, African EFA Coordinators, meeting in UNESCO (17-19 September 2001), will also review it.

The regional plan focuses on the major education challenges facing Africa: reducing the gender gap which affects 75 per cent of countries; combatting the impact of HIV/AIDS on education — 10 per cent of teachers are expected to die over the next five years; and developing responses for countries in crisis.

Education ministers will further address these challenges when they meet at the VIIIth Conference of African Ministers of Education (MINEDAF VIII) in December 2002, the deadline for completion of national action plans.

Contact: A. Parsuramen, UNESCO Dakar.

Europe’s first EFA Forum

The first national Education for All Forum in Europe was established by Lithuania on 26 and 27 June at a meeting in Vilnius which drew an impressive cross-section of representatives from Lithuania’s educational institutions, the corporate sector, the media and multilateral agencies.

The twenty-five member Lithuanian EFA Forum will decide on its work programme at its September gathering and will elaborate the national EFA Plan of Action next year. The Plan will be linked with the country’s Strategic Plan on Compulsory Education.

"There is genuine enthusiasm for EFA in Lithuania," says Alexandre Sannikov, UNESCO Regional Education Adviser for Europe, explaining that the General Education Department will provide discussion facilities on the Internet for Forum members and national radio and television will organize roundtables to launch a communications plan.

International support is also forthcoming: the Danish National Commission for UNESCO has proposed to be coordinator of the Nordic countries’ support to EFA in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

The EFA Baltic States subregional meeting will be hosted by Latvia in January 2002.

Contact: A. Sannikov, Regional Education Adviser for Europe.