JOHANNESBURG, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) on Monday urged African countries to abandon colonial education systems and adopt curricula that promote economic growth.
Fortune Charumbira, president of the PAP, the legislative body of the African Union (AU), made the remarks in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the third ordinary session of the PAP's Sixth Parliament. About 250 members of parliament from African countries will discuss African issues from June 24 to July 5.
"Africa is indeed politically 'independent,' but I believe we still need to decolonize our education systems and focus on heritage-based education that supports the economic development of Africa," said Charumbira.
"Africa must take concrete steps in decolonizing education, making sure that heritage-based education is accessible to every child and developing academic curricula which are relevant and spur economic growth, sustainable development, and prosperity in Africa," he said.
Marie-Antoinette Rose Quatre, chief executive of AU's African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) continental secretariat, said that by 2050, Africa's population would exceed 2.3 billion, comprising mostly youth who need quality education.
"There are necessary efforts we need to carry out to make sure that they get educated, trained, and acquire skills to not only create decent living conditions and foster economic growth but to shape the future of our continent in a brand-new way. It is our common responsibility," she said.
Some of the issues to be discussed during the session include the state of education in Africa, the African Continental Free Trade Area, peace and security. ■
