Students raise their hands to answer a class questions at the St. Louis Primary School in Kinshasa.
My name is Timothy. I come from Ghana. Over the past year, my friend Eliane from Cameroon and I have been talking about our staunch interest in Education.
My interest stems from my life as an orphan in Ashaiman, an inner city in Ghana with maximum exposure to social issues.
I realized that education was my gateway to a better life. The successes and transformation I have experienced stem from education. Thus, I view education as a tool to develop capacities and equip young people with skills to respond to opportunities.
Eliane, on the other hand, is a trained dentist who believes that her success is due to the privilege and opportunities she received at an early stage. Realizing her advantage, she wishes to ensure that other people receive opportunities like she has to create a level-playing field for everyone.
Our motivations are different, but the intents are similar: making education the leveler because it is the one thing that cannot be lost once gained. No matter where they are from, any child can become a hero with the right education.
Reform Education
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”, said Nelson Mandela.
When education is relevant to real-world situations, it can be a powerful tool for reshaping the continent's climate and economic landscape.
Reforming the education systems should begin by minimizing rote learning and theoretically- skewed learning to putting knowledge and skills acquisition at the center of the learning experience, something the World Bank has started advocating in many African countries.
Education must foster dynamism and arouse intellectual curiosity in young people so that they can explore and rethink solutions for the continent.
Involve the youth in the process
Young people must participate significantly in the planning and implementation of education.
It is worthy of note that giving the youth a seat at the table is insufficient: stakeholders must interact with them on an ongoing basis and in ways that best appeal to them.
Several World Bank initiatives aim to give them room such as the youth voices program and competitions like the Spoken Word Poetry Competition of the #YouthActOnEDu. But there is still a need to replicate best practices that cater to the innovation and ideas of Africa’s youth.
A nation’s success depends on its capacity to produce educated individuals suitable for the labor market and with the requisite skills to address its issues.
Leverage Technology
Social media brought self-empowerment to youth by amplifying their potential to assemble, express, engage, discuss, and participate in international, high-level conferences from home.
Modern, creative solutions must be developed with these platforms to impart to the youth the knowledge and skills they need to drive change and progress for their nations. These cutting-edge digital technology solutions are crucial for unlocking the potential of the youth and enhancing youth education across the continent. Using these technological abilities to advance industries like healthcare and services will follow.
Together, we strongly believe that these goals will be reached as promises and funding for the advancement of youth education expand. By doing this, we will bridge the gap between children who grew up like me and those who grew up like Eliane. We will strengthen national and regional economies while educating the leaders of tomorrow to address the problems facing the continent.
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