“Education must never be a target. This comprehensive study underscores the urgent need for action to safeguard students and teachers in conflict zones.” ~ECW Executive Director Yasmine Sherif
On average, eight attacks on education or cases of military use of schools were recorded daily around the world in 2022 and 2023.

In conflicts around the world – from Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the State of Palestine to Ukraine and Burkina Faso – schools have increasingly become targets rather than safe havens. This is the alarming trend revealed in the timely ‘Education Under Attack 2024’ report, launched today by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA).

In 2022-2023, GCPEA identified around 6,000 reported attacks on education and cases of military use of schools and universities. With more than 10,000 students and educators killed, injured, abducted, arrested or otherwise harmed during these attacks, one thing is clear: urgent action is needed to protect children and education.

June 16 is International Day of the African Child, a day set aside to draw attention to the plight of the African Child. As the world commemorated the day this year, it provided an opportunity to reflect on the strides made in improving the educational landscape for children across Africa.

This year’s theme, “Education for All Children in Africa: The Time is Now,” resonates deeply with the mission and achievements of EKOEXCEL, an educational reform initiative that has significantly transformed public primary education in Lagos State.

Launched in 2019 by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu under his THEMES agenda, EKOEXCEL (Excellence in Child Education and Learning) is an innovative program aimed at improving the quality of education in Lagos State public primary schools.

THE Ghana Education Service (GES), has encouraged teachers to equip themselves with information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills to enable them to teach effectively in the new digital phase of education.

It said teaching and learning had evolved in the 21st century, with the advent of digitisation, and it was important for teachers to be abreast with digital skills to enhance their work.

The Director of Schools and Instructions at the GES, Prince Agyemang Duah, said this during a durbar on a piloted Learning Passport initiative rolled out by the GES in collaboration with the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS) with support from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Speakers at an event to mark this year’s International Day of the African Child have mentioned infrastructural development; provision of assistive technology; collaborative efforts between schools; and teacher motivation schemes as some of the factors necessary to building safe school systems for children in the country.

The panelists also named the study of population dynamics; holding communities accountable; attending to the psychological needs of children; eliminating sexual and physical abuses in schools as well as checking and punishing thievery of school items by teachers and people at the helm of affairs as additional factors to ensure safe school systems for lifelong learning.

They were speaking on the theme: “Building Safe School Systems in Ghana for lifelong learning: from Commitments to Action” at the event organised by the Compassion International Ghana (CIGH), a non-profit organisation, in conjunction with the Child Rights International (CRI), to mark this year’s International Day of the African Child in Accra.

A Software Quality Expert Educator at the British Computer Society, Professor Margaret Ross, has advised authorities to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the educational curricula through a forward-thinking approach.

She highlighted the transformative power of AI in education and outlined how AI could revolutionise educational practices, enhance learning experiences for the youth and even children from age four, and prepare the youth for future challenges.

Prof. Ross, however, explained that even though it was important to foster a culture of innovation among educators and students alike, AI empowerment should be implemented with a human and ethical face. She was speaking at the inaugural webinar of the African Society of Comparative International Education, Technology, and Youth (ASCIETY).

The Ugandan government provides free primary and secondary education but pre-primary education is left to private providers. Families often pay a significant portion of their income to cover fees, but most can't afford it. At some urban pre-primary schools, fees are higher than the tuition for an engineering degree at Uganda's largest public university.

Over the past two years, the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER) and Human Rights Watch have researched access to pre-primary education in Uganda, interviewing over 100 parents, teachers, children, and education officials around the country. Many parents described the insurmountable barriers they faced due to the lack of government-funded pre-primary education.

Extensive research shows that pre-primary education has profound benefits for children throughout their lives. It boosts their educational attainment, health, and employment prospects. Brain development is at its highest in early childhood, so this is a critical time for learning.

The Cherithpoint Education and Youth Development Initiative has underscored the importance of education and digital literacy in the advancement of the nation’s economy.

Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mrs. Olajumoke Akere, made this known at a symposium themed Digital Inclusion and Accessibility, the challenge of the Digital Divide, organised by GoToCourse, an Edtech platform, in recognition of Digital Literacy Day in Ibadan.


Akere said that the term digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to digital resources and those who do not. Akere emphasised the need for governments as well as private sectors to collaborate and put in place strategies to bridge the digital divide and ensure digital literacy is at the forefront of their strategies.

Many of the major problems facing educators today, in Africa and around the world, revolve around student motivation and engagement. In several African countries, this is reflected in a need to go beyond the “chalk-and-talk” style that has been in use for decades to achieve robust engagement in young minds.

One of the techniques identified is gamification, or the process of integrating gaming elements in non-game contexts to create immersive and interactive experiences.

According to Study.com, “gamification endeavours to literally create a game out of learning by theming all components of your classroom in a game metaphor, making your class like one big first-person game,” usually through the use of individual or class-wide competitions that put students at the centre of the learning process.

Young graduates from various parts of the country have opted to offer assistance in realizing quality education in informal settlement areas. This is in line with the United Nations Development Program’s Sustainable Development Goal Four, which aims at ensuring all children have access to quality education.

Therefore, a non-governmental Organisation (Teach For Kenya) has devised a way of working with young graduates in the community to achieve this. Teach For Kenya started in March 2019 with an aim of working to bridge the gap in education inequality.

In 2023, Teach For Kenya partnered with 25 schools in two counties; Kisumu and Nairobi, to improve quality education by placing young graduates upon undergoing 6 weeks of training. Since more graduates showed interest in the program and the number of applicants skyrocketed, the program has now extended to Machakos County.

At least 20,000 intern teachers will now get permanent jobs beginning in July. On Tuesday, a parliamentary group meeting of the ruling coalition Kenya Kwanza, held at State House, heard that funds have been provided to absorb the teachers next month.

The teachers will be instrumental in executing teaching in junior secondary schools as the pioneer class enters Grade 9 in January next year. At the same time, the Kenya Kwanza parliamentary group was also informed that Sh18 billion has been provided to employ all junior secondary teachers on internship.

This follows a standoff between the teachers and the employer - Teachers Service Commission - over their employment status. The allocation towards the employment of the intern teachers comes after months of a standoff, a strike, layoffs, and even a pending court case between the interns and the employer.

The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, is to present to Parliament a free Senior High School (SHS) Bill during the current meeting, the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has announced.

He said if the House considered the bill and enacted it into law, it would have legal backing, making it mandatory for all governments to implement the policy. He explained that unless the bill was repealed, no government would have the right to “say that I am not going to enforce the free SHS because there is a law.”

Speaking at a leadership engagement with the members of the Parliamentary Press Corp (PPC) in Parliament last Thursday, Mr Afenyo-Markin said “the chapter of the Constitution provides aspirational indicatives, which are not justiciable.

HigherFeats NG is set to address critical issues facing educators, including innovative teaching methodologies, leadership in education, and the future of learning. A statement by HigherFeats NG said its Educators Dialogue Conference 2024 would focus on advancing educational practices and fostering collaboration among Nigeria’s educational leaders.

It read, “This highly anticipated conference, now in its fourth year and second in-person gathering, underscores HigherFeats NG’s commitment to driving educational excellence and innovation.

The conference is titled ‘Elevated Platforms’ will take place in Lagos on August 17, 2024. “We are thrilled to host the Educators Dialogue Conference 2024, a pivotal event where educators can share ideas, learn from each other, and build meaningful professional relationships.