13 Countries Sits in Dar es Salaam to discuss Education

Chair of the Ministerial SDG4 Regional Forum for Eastern African in Dar es Salaam and Head Office and country Representative of UNESCO, Zulmira Rodrigues welcomes invited guests, dignitaries and key speakers during Ministerial SDG4 Regional Forum for Eastern African in Dar es Salaam.

The Minister for Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training Prof Joyce Ndalichako delivering key note address to officiate Ministerial SDG4 Regional Forum for Eastern African in Dar es Salaam.

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13 Ministers from Eastern Africa, Unesco and the SDG4 co- conveners (ILO, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women, UNHCR and World Bank) are in Dar es salaam to identify priorities and policy recommendations for a regional roadmap for the implementation of the SDG4- Education 2030 agenda and linkages with other SDGs;

In two days meeting opened yesterday at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JINCC) various people made different remarks on how to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Opening the floor to welcome all participants including ministers from Comoros, Djibout, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, Swedish Ambassador to Tanzania H.E Katarina Rangnitt spoke about Young people being given proper education with relevant skills to make them competent.

She talked about unlocking the potential of the people by keeping children in school and managing drop out with full knowledge that education is the tool to reach development goals.

“With the growing frustrations among the youth on lack of employment, climate change and disasters she asked participants to come out with practical solutions making sure that nobody is being left behind with a keen attention to kids with disabilities.” She said.

She asked the participants to look at how global SDGs will be achieved in accordance to the national policies targets and plans.

Speaking at the same meeting Mrs Victoria Akyeampong, UNHCR Head Regional Services Center spoke about the need to support people of concern so as to reach the goal as the agenda 2030 spoke about leaving no body behind.

She said refugees and migrants are in dire need of support because of the fragile situation they are. She said less than one percent of those people are enrolled in education. She asked the participants to increase access to refugees through digital education.

She also asked East Africans to look at the best way of including refugees in their national school as is being done in Cameroon Chad and Pakistan.

Unesco Regional Office for Eastern Africa, Director Mrs Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta addressing the forum posed several question to the participants on priorities and what makes good education.

She said the forum was initiated to deal with the missing link by focusing difficult questions which are still puzzling the community.

On education, she asks about the environment, investment and if people are happy with the current education set up. She examined critically what does examinations do to the kids. If it is not only creating competitions and not happiness.

She wanted the participants to look and come out with the statement what are we supposed to do to have a true education. She said kids and the rest, learning should be joy and not otherwise and teaching should be joy too.

She remembered Mwalimu Nyerere, Tanzania Founding father, for his courage to insist on using local language to teach. She said by using local language as other nation like China and Japanese did we will create confidence to our people and allow mothers to teach their kids.

In her Key note address Hon Prof Joyce The Minister for Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, insisted the importance of the platform in transforming the East African society. She said the platform is an important platform and step in the construction of a common vision for the education 2030 agenda.

“This is an important platform and step in the construction of a common vision for the Education 2030 Agenda, and for our countries to share National Road maps, to identify emerging common areas, and to identify common challenges and opportunities", said Ndalichako.

She said Tanzania is ready to engage in achieving the targets of SDG4.

She further added that the successful implementation of the SDG4 like any other programme, depends much on political will and support.

Unesco Regional Office for Eastern Africa, Director Mrs Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta addressing Ministerial SDG4 Regional Forum for Eastern African in Dar es Salaam.

UNHCR Head Regional Services Center, Mrs Victoria Akyeampong, gives her statement at the National Forum Session during the Ministerial SDG4 Regional Forum for Eastern African in Dar es Salaam.

Linda Madete from UNESCO Office Dar es Salaam gives out some of the education materials and brochures to invited guests during the Ministerial Sustainable Development Goals numbers 4 that focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all at the Regional Forum for Eastern African in Dar es Salaam.

A cross section of ministers from Eastern Africa, Unesco officials and the SDG4 co- conveners (ILO, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women, UNHCR and World Bank) listening attentively on various speakers at the ongoing Ministerial SDG4 Regional Forum for Eastern African in Dar es Salaam.