AU Theme for 2024 — Educate an African fit for the 21st Century - Africa Social Work & Development Network | Mtandao waKazi zaJamii naMaendeleo waAfrika

Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.
African Union theme, 2024

“This initiative seeks to galvanize member states towards fulfilling the Continental Strategy on Education for Africa (CESA), the Agenda 2030 and SDG4, and Agenda 2063 objectives. The focus on Education for the year underscores a strategic moment for in-depth discussions on enhancing access to quality education across Africa, advocating for increased investments and the formulation of effective policies. This initiative is particularly crucial as Africa faces the most significant challenges globally, with the lowest educational attainment levels” (AU, 2024).

About AU’s Education, Science, Technology and Innovation

The division contributes towards revitalized, quality, relevant, and harmonized education systems responsive to the needs of Africa, taking into account Africa’s aspiration and capacity in terms of human and material resources; systems that produce Africans with appropriate attitudes, values, knowledge and skills to facilitate attainment of the AU vision; systems that generate applied and new knowledge and contribute towards its harnessing for meeting Africa’s challenges as well as placing Africa firmly within the core of the global knowledge economy. Its mandates and core functions are:

Development and harmonization of education policies and programs on the continent, towards achievement of the AU vision
Spearhead the revitalization of education systems
Develop and Manage Continental Education Management Information Systems linked to regional and national levels providing information for local and international users
Organize meetings of the relevant Specialized Technical Committee and other political and professional bodies to ensure collective articulation of priorities, ownership and accountability

In line to the Agenda 2063, Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Division is responsible for: