ECOWAS region to get an agency in charge of education soon
Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is planning to set up an agency in charge of education, sources close to the institution told PANA here.
The validation of the feasibility study report of this agency was recently discussed at a meeting in Lome, Togo.
This agency will be responsible for coordinating the harmonization and management of quality assurance of education in the region.
Ultimately, the Agency will also, among other things, make a significant contribution to the ECOWAS education sector's mandate to ensure access to quality education and training through the harmonization of education policies and programmes to enhance human capital and promote student and labour mobility in West Africa.
Due to language barriers and disparities caused by the adoption of their colonial model of education, the education systems of ECOWAS member states vary considerably.
This dysfunction persists despite the fact that there is a certain degree of harmonization of the education system among the Francophone countries of the ECOWAS region, with the creation of the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES) in 1968.
It aimed to harmonize and coordinate higher education policies in the 19 Francophone member countries, including eight Francophone ECOWAS countries.
The English-speaking countries of West Africa already have a harmonized system of higher secondary education, which came into effect with the creation of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in 1952.
However, there are several forces driving the education sector to seek regional integration, including economies of scale, achieving greater numbers of learners served, and pooling national strengths and expertise.
Other factors are attracting enhanced global partnership, improving global grading and recognition, and achieving complementary socio-economic objectives, particularly those related to regional cooperation and integration.
-0- PANA IT/IS/BBA/RA 13Sept2022
