The 3rd International Conference on Education Research For Development in Africa (ICERDA) which aimed at re-examining the challenges of education in Africa and to find solutions through research has been held at the University of Cape Coast (UCC).
The conference was on the theme, “Repurposing the Global Development Education Agenda for Africa's Future". The conference also focused on the learning crisis discourse in Africa and how legacies of colonial and post-colonial education continue to hamper progress, silencing and contributions of local researchers, actors and practitioners.
Participants of the three-day conference which opened on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 presented and shared best practice on sub-themes such as Technology, STEM, Educational Leadership, Educational Finance, Teacher education, and Curriculum development.
The conference was organised and coordinated by UCC in collaboration with the Centre for Study of Global Development (CSDG) and The Open University, UK.
Prof. Rosemond Boohene
The Pro Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Rosemond Boohene, in her address at the opening ceremony, said the education development agenda of Africa had been shaped by global factors and organisations without much contribution from African education scholars, researchers, and policy makers.
According to her, the prognosis in many research outputs and review of education performance often painted a depressing deficit in education performance leading to prescriptions that often ignore the deep-rooted challenges that could be traced to the legacy of colonial education.
She admitted that "there is very little discussion on what is working in the African context that is based on insights from African researchers and their analysis and the interpretation of the auction challenge."
Some participants in the conference
Prof. Boohene, therefore, urged participants to focus on African dialoguing and finding solutions through research in Africa and for Africa.
"We expect that as educators and researchers, you will have the opportunity to network, explore and learn exciting and innovative ways of finding solutions for promoting the education agenda for Africa's future," she added.
Mr. George Werner
A former Minister of Education in Liberia, Mr. George Werner, who treated the topic, "Addressing the Learning Crisis in Africa: Time to Reclaim the Narrative," said school infrastructures were impediments to ensuring quality education.
However, he commended to development partners the need to secure funding to tackle the challenges facing the education sector in Africa.
A Representative from ICERDA, Prof. Kwame Acheampong, observed that the goal of ICERDA was to create a unique space for new and established education researchers to meet regularly to disseminate research that inspires policy makers to take action to improve the quality of education for all Africans, especially the disadvantaged and marginalised.
Notable among the dignitaries at the event were officials from Centre for Study of Global Development; The Open University, UK; Registrar of UCC, Mr. Jeff Onyame; Provosts, Deans from UCC and other Universities as well as educationists across the world.