By Landing Ceesay
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) of The Gambia is set to host the 3rd African Continental Conference on Curriculum.
The event will be held from 23rd to 26th May 2022 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba International Conference Centre in Kololi, The Gambia.
The conference is aimed at addressing all levels of basic education and focus on curriculum transformation and responsiveness such as innovations in curriculum development, implementation, evaluation, integration of technology into the curriculum at various levels, alignment with teacher education, professional development, learning, and assessment, etc.
It will be organized in a hybrid model to cater for those who are unable to travel to The Gambia. Simultaneous interpretation will be available in English and French during the 3-day event.
Speaking to the Journalists about the event, Momodou Jeng, Director of Curriculum at MoBSE informed that the event is expected to be graced by 250 experts across Africa and beyond.
“The conference will bring together education experts, civil society, development partners, and research institutions, as well as private and corporate sector representatives from Africa and beyond. The goal is to build a dialogue in order to share experiences and best practices on curriculum-related issues, and to forge a way forward for ensuring SDG 4 implementation. It is expected that 250 people will attend,” Director Jeng told the Journalists.
The Director of Curriculum stated that the event would also provide an opportunity to consider the curricular implications of translating global goals into national contexts.
The objective of the conference is to achieve a shared understanding of how the misalignment between school curriculum, teacher education, and learning assessment affects the quality of education; Make recommendations on how to apply technology in the process of aligning school curriculum, teacher education, and learning assessment in Africa; Investigate the potential of technology and innovation in enhancing curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation; Discuss and make recommendations on how Africa can make progress towards hybrid modes of education, learning, and assessment combining in-person and distance learning; and elect new members of the ACA Executive Committee.
Mr. Jeng further said that there is a considerable need for national curricula to reflect on the changes that are taking place in the world both inside and outside educational institutions.
He said quality education is at the centre of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“The Continental Strategy for Africa also advocates for increasing access to quality and relevant education and learning. The quest for lasting solutions to education problems in Africa requires that practitioners dialogue and come up with strategies to address the challenges in a holistic way,” he said.
Director Jeng said the 3rd African Continental Conference on Curriculum is conceived, whereby participants will have the opportunity to reflect on the possible mismatch between the intended, the implemented, and the achieved curriculum.
He said the conference would allow participants to explore the potential of technology and innovations to enhance curriculum processes and products.
“The 3rd African Continental Conference on Curriculum will bring together curriculum developers, implementers, education administrators, partners, teacher trainers, and other key stakeholders to discuss and find solutions to meeting some of the above-mentioned challenges in education.
“The discussions are hoped to lead to recommendations on how Africa can make progress towards holistic, quality curricula and education using hybrid modes. This will require that many countries redesign their national curricula in order to prepare young people for critically addressing current and coming challenges,” he said.
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