Education Cannot Wait Interviews Professor Mohammed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation within the African Union

Mar 19 2024 –  

Professor Mohammed Belhocine is an Algerian nationwide. Former Head of the Division of Inside Drugs, he held numerous positions in Algeria, on the School of Drugs and the Ministry of Well being, earlier than becoming a member of the worldwide civil service in 1997. Former Director of the Division of Non-Communicable Illnesses on the WHO Regional Workplace for Africa (in Harare, then in Brazzaville), he was additionally WHO Consultant in Nigeria and Tanzania. He ended his profession as UN System Coordinator and UNDP Resident Consultant in Tunisia from 2009 to 2013. From June 2015 to February 2016, on the request of the WHO Regional Director, he returned to responsibility as WHO Consultant in Guinea, enjoying an lively function in offering technical help and experience to the nation’s response to the Ebola epidemic. In October 2021, supported by his nation, he was elected to the place of Commissioner for Training, Science, Expertise and Innovation inside the African Union. Professor Belhocine is the daddy of three youngsters and has six grandchildren.

ECW: 2024 is the Africa Yr of Training. How can African Union Member States work with donors, civil society companions and multilateral organizations to remodel and speed up the supply of training for ladies and boys impacted by armed conflicts, compelled displacement and climate-induced disasters in Africa?

Professor Mohammed Belhocine: The AU Theme of the Year 2024 is dedicated to Education, and it presents an important alternative for African Union Member States to collaborate with numerous stakeholders to reinforce training supply for youngsters affected by conflicts, displacement and local weather disasters.

Leveraging present frameworks just like the Continental Training Technique for Africa (CESA 16-25), nations can embark on coverage alignment, making certain the alignment of nationwide training insurance policies, prioritizing inclusive and high quality training for all, notably in crisis-affected areas.

As well as, AU Member States can embark on work with civil society companions, multilateral organizations corresponding to UNICEF, UNESCO, WFP, International Partnership for Training (GPE) and Training Can’t Wait, and multilateral or bilateral funding companions, to mobilize sources for teaching programs in battle zones and areas affected by displacement and local weather disasters; they usually can advocate for elevated consideration and funding in training in disaster settings at regional and international boards, whereas forging partnerships with governments, NGOs, and worldwide businesses to amplify impression and attain. Many examples might be drawn, all through the continent.

For instance, on training supply for ladies and boys impacted by armed battle, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has established the “Kids, Not Troopers” marketing campaign in collaboration with the United Nations, advocating for the discharge and reintegration of kid troopers and prioritizing their training and rehabilitation.

In Somalia, GPE has partnered with the federal government to help the rebuilding of its training system, offering funding for trainer coaching, faculty building and curriculum growth in conflict-affected areas.

On displaced youngsters, civil society organizations play an important function in partaking communities, advocating for youngsters’s rights, and offering training companies in hard-to-reach areas. They’ll work carefully with communities to establish wants, mobilize sources and implement teaching programs tailor-made to native contexts.

In South Sudan, as an example, organizations like Save the Kids and UNICEF have established momentary studying areas and community-based teaching programs to succeed in youngsters affected by battle and displacement, making certain continuity of studying in difficult environments.

The Training Can’t Wait (ECW) fund has supported nations like Nigeria in offering training for internally displaced youngsters affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, specializing in constructing inclusive and resilient training techniques. Likewise, within the Western Sahara refugee camp of Tindouf (Algeria) UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR and NGOs are supporting youngsters’s training.

On local weather change-induced disasters, following the devastating impression of Cyclone Idai in 2019, Mozambique has been working with worldwide companions to rebuild and strengthen its training infrastructure. The intervention contains establishing cyclone-resistant faculties and creating early warning techniques to guard faculties from future disasters. Kenya is implementing a local weather change curriculum in main and secondary faculties to teach about local weather change adaptation and mitigation methods.

By leveraging the experience, sources and collective efforts of African Union member states, donor organizations, civil society companions and multilateral organizations, it’s attainable to remodel and speed up the supply of training for youngsters impacted by crises in Africa, making certain they’ve entry to high quality training and alternatives for a brighter future.

AU Member States can foster innovation in training supply, corresponding to leveraging know-how for distant studying and establishing momentary studying areas in refugee camps and disaster-affected areas; improve the capability of training techniques to reply successfully to crises, together with coaching academics and training personnel in trauma-informed pedagogy and psychosocial help; and interact communities, together with dad and mom, native leaders and affected populations, within the design and implementation of teaching programs to make sure relevance and sustainability.

As an illustration, by means of Japanese funding, the Worldwide Institute of Capability Constructing in Africa (UNESCO-IICBA) helps the African Union Worldwide Centre for Girls and Ladies Training (AU-CIEFFA) in two principal initiatives. The primary one goals at creating secure, supportive, and resilient studying environments to safeguard youngsters’s proper to training amid battle and crises within the Sahel, Central and East Africa with a price range of US$1,155,000. The second pertains to capacity-building of academics to advertise steady and inclusive entry to secure and high quality training for ladies in west Africa with a price range of US$3,260,000.

ECW: Roughly 98 million youngsters are out-of-school throughout sub-Saharan Africa. In areas impacted by armed battle, compelled displacement, local weather change and different protracted crises, ladies are particularly susceptible to dropping out, being compelled into little one marriage, and being denied their human rights. Why should we redouble investments in ladies’ training?

Professor Mohammed Belhocine: Redoubling investments in ladies’ training is crucial, particularly in areas affected by armed battle, displacement and local weather crises, contemplating the Secure Colleges Declaration. It’s believed that ladies in these contexts face heightened dangers of dropping out, little one marriage and human rights violations. This provides to the truth that even in “regular” occasions, much less ladies attend faculty than boys.

In opposition to this backdrop, the African Union Fee established the African Union Worldwide Centre for Ladies and Girls (AU-CIEFFA), to coordinate the promotion of women’ and girls’s training in Africa, with a view of attaining their financial, social and cultural empowerment. The Centre works carefully with AU Member States and authorities, civil society, and worldwide companions to maintain ladies’ training as a precedence concern. Everyone knows that training is a driver for peace and stability. By making certain that ladies have entry to secure and high quality training, we will help stop battle, promote social cohesion and contribute to long-term peacebuilding efforts which, invariably, will promote gender equality and girls’s empowerment. It should defend ladies from social abuses: little one marriage, human trafficking, sexual abuse, little one labour and so forth. We should redouble investments in ladies’ training to implement the Secure Faculty Declaration, which has been ratified by 35 AU member States and which reaffirms the dedication to guard training from assault throughout armed battle. Redoubling investments in ladies’ training ought to embody implementing measures outlined within the declaration to make sure secure studying environments for all youngsters, particularly ladies, in crisis-affected areas. COVID-19 exacerbated these vulnerabilities.

ECW: There’s a large funding hole for training throughout Africa, notably for ladies and boys impacted by emergencies and protracted crises. Why ought to donors, the non-public sector and high-net-worth people put money into training in Africa by means of devoted funds corresponding to “Training Can’t Wait”?

Professor Mohammed Belhocine: Donors, the non-public sector and high-net-worth people are inspired to put money into training in Africa, by means of effectively devoted funds, corresponding to Training Can’t Wait.

One of many causes right here ought to be for long-term stability and peace. Everyone knows that training performs an important function in fostering social cohesion, selling peacebuilding and stopping battle. By investing in training in Africa, donors can help initiatives that present secure and inclusive studying environments, promote tolerance and understanding, and empower younger individuals to actively take part in constructing peaceable and steady societies.

However, training is a key determinant for financial growth. Training is a strong catalyst for financial development and poverty discount. By investing in training, donors will help equip younger Africans with the information and expertise they should take part within the workforce, begin companies, and contribute to their communities’ growth. This, in flip, can have constructive ripple results on Africa’s general financial prosperity. Specialists train us that the mid-term return on funding in training is without doubt one of the highest.

As well as, training is carefully intertwined with well being outcomes. By investing in training, donors can help initiatives that present youngsters with important well being training, promote constructive well being behaviours, and contribute to higher well being outcomes for people and communities. Moreover, training may function a protecting issue towards points corresponding to little one marriage, early being pregnant and different dangerous practices.

Subsequently, investing in training in Africa by means of devoted funds corresponding to Training Can’t Wait isn’t solely an ethical crucial, but additionally a strategic alternative to construct a greater future for tens of millions of youngsters and youth, unlock the continent’s potential, and contribute to international progress and prosperity.

ECW: As seen by droughts within the Sahel, flooding in Libya and East Africa, and different climate-induced disasters, local weather change is a significant risk to sustainable growth throughout Africa. How can we higher join the dots between local weather motion and training motion to construct a extra sustainable future for Africa?

Professor Mohammed Belhocine: Connecting local weather and training actions is healthier performed inside present African Union’s Frameworks, aligned with Agenda 2063, for a extra sustainable future in Africa.

One of many steps to take is to implement initiatives to make faculties extra environmentally sustainable, corresponding to sensible water administration, incorporating renewable vitality sources, selling waste discount and recycling, in addition to integrating environmental themes into faculty actions and infrastructure growth. This may also be performed by partaking native communities in local weather training and motion by means of outreach applications, community-based initiatives, and partnerships with grassroots organizations, fostering a way of possession and collective accountability for local weather change resilience and environmental stewardship.

These actions can’t go with out offering coaching and help to educators, policymakers and group leaders on local weather change mitigation, adaptation and resilience-building methods, empowering them to guide efficient initiatives on the native, regional and nationwide ranges. This will additionally result in funding in analysis and innovation to develop context-specific options to climate-related challenges in training, leveraging indigenous information and know-how to construct resilience and promote sustainable growth.

Lastly right here is the necessity to foster collaboration between training and environmental ministries, in addition to different related sectors corresponding to agriculture, vitality and water sources, to develop holistic approaches in addressing local weather change by means of training and coverage integration. The necessity to elevate consciousness in regards to the interconnectedness of local weather change and training, requires elevated funding, coverage help and worldwide cooperation to handle each points successfully and equitably.

ECW: Everyone knows that ‘leaders are readers’ and that studying expertise are key to each little one’s training. What are three books which have most affected you personally and/or professionally, and why would you suggest them to others?

Professor Mohammed Belhocine: The extra you learn, the extra you be taught. As one well-known singer put it: “I’m a newbie with whitening hair.”

It’s troublesome to pick solely three books, as all of them would affect you in a method or one other. Screening by means of my current and historical readings, and making an attempt to hyperlink your query to our dialogue, I’d single out three necessary titles: The primary one is the monumental work of Cheikh Anta Diop, Pre-colonial black Africa (1960), which, when printed, constituted a significant epistemological break with hitherto obtained concepts on African historic sociology. It’s a should for whoever needs to higher perceive the anthropological, social, cultural, scientific and financial foundations of African societies. The second pertains to the well-known greatest vendor Sapiens: A Transient Historical past of Humankind (2012) by Yuval Noah Harari. Combining pure and social sciences, the writer affords, in a easy and nice fashion, an outline of the historical past of mankind from the Stone Age to the twenty first century. This ebook was adopted by one other one from the identical writer, questioning the way forward for humankind: 21 classes for the twenty first century in an period of ever evolving applied sciences.

Many different titles come into my thoughts. These embody, as an example, the works of Joseph Ki Zerbo on African historical past, tradition and training, and lots of novels from African and non-African novelists, however let me cease right here.

As we enter the digital period, I can’t however encourage our youth to learn books, as a result of studying a ebook helps consolidate our information, our reminiscence and our essential considering, and finally, forge our character.