Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE is set to host the third edition of the Africa Education Summit following approval by President Mnangagwa for the international conference to be held in Victoria Falls.
The Africa Education Summit is a premier event dedicated to fostering educational advancement on the continent.
The summit will be jointly hosted by Global Skills Hub United Kingdom (UK), Africa Education Stakeholders, and the Government of Zimbabwe.
Representatives from Global Skills Hub United Kingdom met President Mnangagwa at State House in Harare yesterday where they were granted permission to proceed with preparations for the event that will be held in April next year.
Speaking after the meeting, Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Angeline Gata said President Mnangagwa had agreed to officiate at the premier event which is expected to drive educational and developmental progress across Africa.
"This morning, I presented a delegation from the UK and a delegation from the United States. They came here to ask for permission to host the third Africa Education Summit in Zimbabwe. They were well received by the President, and it was such an honour for them to come and ask for that permission, which was granted. They have asked His Excellency to officiate at the Summit and he was agreeable to it. It is such an honour for Zimbabwe, out of all the 53 countries in Africa, to hold the third Education Summit in Africa," she said
Deputy Minister Gata said the organisers would visit Victoria Falls to identify and secure the venue of the conference.
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To be held under the theme, 'Translating our Educational Advancement to Continental Development', the summit will gather educators, policymakers, and stakeholders from all over Africa and beyond to discuss and strategise on how to leverage educational progress for continental development.
Hosting of the Summit has the potential to bring investors in the education sector to Zimbabwe as well as boost tourism before, during and after the event.
The first Africa Education Summit was held in Rwanda and the second in Nottingham in the UK.
The second Summit was held under the theme, "Entrepreneurship and Skills Development in the 21st Century Education System: The African-European Perspectives".
It made a clarion call for Governments, civic society organisations, and international partners to prioritise investments in education infrastructure, teacher training, and targeted support for marginalised groups.
The Summit also identified the need for a paradigm shift in education systems towards a knowledge-based economy, driven by technological advancements and globalisation and the re-imagining of education curricula to foster creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, adaptability, and pursuing innovative solutions to complex challenges.
