The qualification of teachers is to be harmonised across the African Union (AU) member states in the bid to address the deficit of teachers in the various member states.

The Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (ESTI) at the AU Commission, Prof. Mohammed Belhocine, in an interview on the sidelines of the 45th Ordinary Session of the AU in Ghana, said the Commission is currently working on the document that will see the realisation of the initiative.

Acknowledging the challenges in the education sector in Africa as a whole, he noted that a push for a harmonised policy and quality of teaching in every level is the right way to go.

Every child in any member state will be required to at least have some level of quality impact, even if the contents are different, when the document is finalised.

“We are working on the document to ensure the qualification of teachers is harmonised. There is a deficit, so it will ensure that even though the content is different, the quality will be standardised for the pupils,” he assured on July 19.

Mr Belhocine further explained that “Education in every middle income and low-income country is challenged generally, and performance is quite different depending on the expenditure on education. Indeed, in Africa, education is in crisis, and so there is a need for more investment into the sector by the individual countries.”

According to UNESCO, about $90 billion will be needed to finance education in Africa to attain the needed impact.

Read also:

Enhance your commitment to providing quality education – Ayorkor Botchwey tells AU member states

By Sarah Apenkroh