A Chinese teacher teaches Chinese at the Confucius Institute at Makerere University in Kampala, capital of Uganda, on 12 April 2022 (XINHUA)

Equitable, inclusive and high-quality education is recognised as a vital factor for achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations for 2030, and is central to global concerns. However, in a large number of countries, there is a significant gap between the current reality and the target for education set in SDG 4. As emphasised at the UN’s Education Transformation Summit 2022, this pressing issue underscores the necessity for radical change in education systems worldwide. 

With this in view, 10 deans of education faculties from 10 African countries, 13 Chinese university counterparts, and UNESCO representatives convened at Beijing Normal University on 15 November for the 2023 China-Africa Deans of Education Forum. They discussed contemporary educational issues, with a special emphasis on innovation, social cohesion, and the transformative role of educators. Through sharing experiences and expertise, participants aim to synergise efforts to identify innovative solutions. 

Innovation, a major challenge 

Several speakers at the forum highlighted the critical role of technology and innovation in achieving SDG 4, amidst the many challenges facing education today. 

Quentin Wodon, director of the UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), opened the proceedings by citing Adeola Adefemi, an English teacher in Nigeria, on the urgency of incorporating technology into education. Adefemi, recipient of the 2023 AU Continental Teacher Award, expressed a desire to have technology incorporated into her teaching methods sooner rather than later. “Embracing educational technology can enhance the learning experience, engage students on different levels, and better prepare them for the digital world,” she stated. 

Beatrice Ifeoma Ajufo, dean of the School of Education at the University of The Gambia, emphasised the necessity of training upcoming educators to be able to perform in a digital education setting, ultimately providing equal opportunities for their pupils. However, she highlighted the poor digital literacy levels in Africa, with fewer than one-fifth of schools having access to the Internet, and less than a third of schools owning computers for educational use. Therefore, she urged for a collaborative endeavour to incorporate technology into teacher training. 

Xun Yuan, executive associate dean of the Faculty of Education at East China Normal University, emphasised the concept of boundaryless learning, an Internet-based education concept aimed at offering universal access to learning resources. He asserted that wide adoption of the Internet, ICT and new media in education is pivotal for a true educational revolution. 

Speakers address the 2023 China-Africa Deans of Education Forum at Beijing Normal University on 15 November 2023 (COURTESY)

Education in underserved regions 

In addition to innovation, another focus of the meeting was the availability of teachers. The first Global Report on Teachers published by UNESCO in 2023 states that another 15 million teachers at all learning levels are needed in Sub-Saharan Africa to attain the SDG 4. This deficiency is primarily due to the swift growth in the school-age population, aggravated by financial limitations. 

This worldwide predicament also affects China, particularly in its underdeveloped and rural areas. To address this issue, the country has implemented a variety of measures, such as a free teacher education policy which was introduced in 2007. Since the launch of the National Training Programme for teachers in 2010, efforts have been concentrated on enhancing teacher quality, especially in rural areas. Capitalising on this progress, Beijing Normal University launched the Qiangshi Plan in 2022, which aims to grow the number of teachers at the primary education level.  

Zhu Xudong, dean of the Faculty of Education at Beijing Normal University, said his institution is collaborating with teacher training institutions at all levels to guarantee the success of the new plan. Their aim is to provide targeted and precise training for teachers from less-developed regions, along with long-term and lifelong support. 

Kusi Hinneh, dean of the School of Education and Life-Long Learning at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) in Ghana, highlighted comparable challenges in the rural regions of his country. A lot of trained individuals are hesitant to work in these areas unless there are financial incentives. “We have introduced new programmes in the past five years to tackle the substandard teaching and learning quality. The main problem is funding, which has affected the level of commitment of many people in rural areas,” he told ChinAfrica. The Ghanaian dean anticipates potential collaboration with China to tackle this mutual challenge. 

Educational partnership  

The primary objective of this meeting is to enhance the collaboration between China and Africa. “Our fervent aspiration is that this forum will facilitate a closer partnership through pragmatic measures, and foster educational cooperation between China and Africa for a stable and ambitious future,” Qin Changwei, secretary general of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, said during his opening address. According to him, China launched with UNESCO the UNESCO-China Funds-In-Trust (CFIT) in 2012, and has since made total contributions of $24 million to earnestly support African countries in building greater capacity for teacher training and narrow the education gap. By now, 12 African countries have benefited from this fund and over 10,000 teachers have been trained. 

To sustain this progress, a new initiative called the Network of China-Africa Faculties of Education was launched during the forum. Zhao Yuchi, executive director of the UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (INRULED), said the network, which includes Chinese and African faculties of education, aims to promote the growth and exchange of outstanding techniques and inventions in teacher training. It will involve joint research, exchange programmes for teachers and trainers, and the sharing of educational resources. 

Wodon believes that this network has the potential to make a significant contribution to educational cooperation between China and Africa by sharing experiences and collaborating to drive change in the field of education. “Thanks to this meeting, we have identified clear directions for the forum and network, as well as some practical areas for collaboration. It’s an excellent beginning,” he told ChinAfrica.