We need African Education to front African Challenges in a Godly perspective

There is no doubt that education is a paramount capital for the development of Africa. If Africa is to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond, it needs a strong education system customized on African challenges and resource potentials.

There is ample evidence of great causal impact of education on economic performance1 and this part of reasons why most nations in Africa are striving to become knowledge based economies. To achieve the greatest impact of the prevailing education system, which is the main source of knowledge, it has to be tailored to the needs of self-reliant, rely on its human and natural resources, globally attractive, competitive, and of immediate use to every member of the African society.

Africa comprises the majority of the poorest nations of the world (about 46.8% live below the poverty line), it remains the only continent that cannot feed itself, its population is expected to double by 20502 , and the education system that remains weak despite previous efforts. The literacy rate in Africa in Sub-Saharan Africa remains low (62%) compared to 84% of the World average.

The education system in Africa is faced with various drawbacks. The education is made up of disparate higher education system inherited from Africa’s colonial past and not customized to African needs and potentials, under-funding of the system (between 5% to 10% of GDP) because of misguided school that investment in education does not yield sufficient socio- economic   returns,   absence of strong and competitive academics and hence limited innovation and technology discoveries and contributions to the science, ever increasing  brain drain from Africa making the knowledge acquired in Africa being not used for the profit of Africans, and gender disparities in access to education, limited role of the church in shaping the education system, unhealthy research environment, insufficient involvement and partnership of parties engaged in education, among others.

To sustain rapid   andwell sustained economic growth, Africa needs to develop the knowledge it needs for more innovations, creativity, and entrepreneurship, with focus to technical and vocational training – assumed to be the hub of innovation and creativity. In addition, the curriculum design by the education and higher learning institutions should create a base of relevant knowledge, technology, and skills needed to meet the challenges facing Africans. The brain trained in Africa needs to serve Africans.

Furthermore, family and church education should   receive the attention they deserve to calibrate the formal education system and lead our children to the use of their talents not just swallow what is packed from traditional curriculums. A strong linkage between these three forms of education need to be created in order to create a “whole” individual. The role of the Church in Education Sector should not be overlooked to supporting African institutions and Africans for equity and quality access to education so that they can benefit from their knowledge and the investment they make in this very sector through qualified and productive labor force.

We hope that the expected 2015 summit will create an opportunity for representatives from 52 African nations to discuss on the above issues affecting the education system and come up with proposed solutions and new insights on what education Africans need towards a prosperous and poverty free continent. During this summit a number of topics will be presented around the education system in Africa to set stage for debates on what education system fit Africa.

These include the structure of Africa’s education system and its compatibility with Christian beliefs; breaking away from the traditional education system; a personal experience with Christian inspired alternatives, the rationale the benefits of the new reforms in education curriculum, and what should be the new role of the church in the education of Africans?
The capacity to impact the African education system is in the hands of Africans!