Secondary education in Africa and the future of work

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

CIES Panel Proposal: Secondary Education in Africa and the Future of Work in Africa

The rising demand for secondary education across Africa, together with the changing needs of the labor market and the bulge in the population of youth across the continent, present both enormous challenges and important opportunities for rethinking education policies and systems. More than ever before education can help unlock the tremendous potential of youth, both by equipping them with skills and mindsets relevant to the world of work, and by supporting their growth and development as individuals, citizens, parents and community members.

In 2017, the Mastercard Foundation working with a range of partners and experts from Africa and internationally, launched a program of research that would lead to the publication of its Secondary Education in Africa Report in 2019. Its aim is to spur new, evidence-based momentum in the reform of secondary education so that all youth have access to quality education that helps them realize their potential for healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives. This panel will be a preview of the report - allowing for debate and inputs from an academic audience and the Africa SIG members.

The Report provides an overview of demographic, social and educational trends since 2008, and explores implications for the future of secondary education within sub-Saharan African contexts. It compliments a range of other recent reports arguing for new approaches and momentum in reforming education systems in Africa -- one that aligns changes in structure, curriculum and delivery around a vision for educational quality, while also ensuring pathways that address critical needs of the young women and young men who have been significantly disadvantaged and left behind within educational systems, including in geographies affected by conflict and crises.

The report addresses four main themes (see below). The panelists will present findings from the chapters. Presentations will also discuss key recommendations and priority areas for action, and draw on 13 commissioned background papers from senior researchers.

Four Themes in the Secondary Education Report
- Preparing youth for the future of work
- Ensuring Relevant Knowledge and Skills
- Designing systems to foster improved learning
-Meeting the needs of out of school youth and Displaced Populations

Sub Unit

• SIG: Africa

Chair

• Karen Mundy, Toronto University

Individual Presentations

• An Overview of the “Secondary Education in Africa Report” - Kim Kerr, Mastercard Foundation

• Skills for Youth and the Future of Work in Sub-Saharan Africa - Ed Brown, African Centre for Economic Transformation

• Skills, Competencies and Pathways for Stronger Secondary Education Systems - Susan Nicolai, Overseas Development Institute; Rachel Marcus, Overseas Development Institute

• Reforming Secondary Education in Africa: Opportunities and Prospects for Systems Change - Karen Mundy, Toronto University

Discussants

• Pauline Rose, University of Cambridge

• Shem Bodo, ADEA