Muktadha
Tunaamini kwamba changamoto za elimu katika Afrika kusini mwa Jangwa la Sahara zinapaswa kushughulikiwa kupitia ushirikiano wa utaratibu na endelevu, unaozingatia fursa za kubadili hali. Ushahidi thabiti na maarifa muhimu zaidi yanayofaa lazima yawe msingi. Msisitizo wa awali wa ESSA ni kuhusu Elimu ya Juu.
Malengo ya Maendeleo (SDGs) na Mkakati wa Elimu ya Bara wa Afrika uliweka mfumo wa kukabiliana na changamoto za Afrika katika elimu. Serikali za Afrika chini ya Jangwa la Sahara zinawekeza 5% au zaidi ya GNP kwenye elimu na hii inakuzwa na wengine ikiwa ni pamoja na fedha za maendeleo, kampuni na mashirika yasiyo ya kiserikali.
Utafiti, data na tathmini ya athari, muhimu kwa kufanya sera na machaguo sahihi kwa kila mtu anayewekeza katika sekta hii, inaimarika kwa njia kubwa. Na bado inasalia kuwa na ubora tofauti, vinaweza kuwa vigumu kufikia na mara nyingi haijakamilika.
Kwa sababu hii na nyingine nyingi, tunaamini kuna fursa ya kuongeza ufanisi wa matumizi na kuvutia mtaji wa ziada katika eneo hili muhimu sana.
Aidha, huku mlipuko wa demografia ukiendelea, nchi nyingi za Afrika tayari zinakabiliwa na changamoto nyingi, gumu na za kimfumo katika uwasilishaji wa elimu ambayo jamii zao zinahitaji.
Kwa muktadha huu tunaamini kwamba:
"Ufikiaji elimu katika ngazi zote na kwa ubora na umuhimu wake utakuwa muhimu kuamua kama ukuaji wa idadi ya watu unachukuliwa kuwa fursa ya kawaida au tishio kubwa kwa Afrika na dunia nzima."
Tunataka kufanya kila kitu tunachoweza pamoja na kila mtu tunayefanya kazi naye ili kusaidia kutatua changamoto ya ukosefu wa ajira kwa vijana, hata miongoni mwa wahitimu, wakati huo huo kama waajiri wanakabiliwa na uhaba mkubwa wa ujuzi.
We believe there is an opportunity to increase the effectiveness of spending and to attract additional capital to this fundamentally important area.
By 2050, Africa’s young population will increase by nearly 50 per cent and 450 million workers are projected to join the workforce in the next decade. Many African nations already face multiple, complex and systemic challenges in delivering the education their societies need.
ESSA sees the tertiary sector as including all post-secondary education, including universities, colleges, technical training institutes, and vocational schools. This sector plays an important role in building the skills and knowledge of young people for the world of work. It is a gateway to training, development, and culture across the continent, and a main driver of socioeconomic growth and societal development.
With this context, we strongly believe that:
“Access to quality education and job opportunities will be critical in determining whether the world’s largest youth population becomes an opportunity to lift millions from poverty or a crisis for the region and the world.”
- ESSA Strategy framework
‘‘African researchers are best placed to conduct indigenous research to identify, analyse and devise innovative and effective solutions to the continent’s diverse challenges. Context-specific research informs policy development, advances socio-economic development, and transforms lives on the continent.”
- Dr Pauline Essah, Director of Research and Programmes at ESSA
We want to do all we can to help solve the paradox of high youth unemployment, even among graduates, and the skills shortages employers face.