Education For All Sierra Leone (EFA-SL) Coalition has issued a policy brief that simplified the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) Education 2030 framework and aligned it with national education policy formulation, implementation and review process.
The National Coordinator, Joseph A. Cobinah, explained the policy brief is the coalition determination to demonstrate its contribution to Global and Regional development, by simplifying these concepts; the overall SDG4, Education 2030 framework and importantly aligning them with national level education policy formulation, implementation and review process.”
He said, “… EFA-SL has resolved to popularize these concepts, which will serve as a conduit to open up the thinking mentality of every reader to understand what has been carved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and emancipate them from knowledge bankruptcy and the need to heal and secure our world presently and in the future.”
“The SDG4 and Education 2030,” Cobinah said, “…are intertwined concepts that have superseded the 8 Millennium Development Goals which ended in 2015. Most African countries did poorly in meeting the benchmarks and indicators including Sierra Leone.” The SDG4 is the framework for action towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all. “World and African leaders including Sierra Leone reaffirmed the vision of the worldwide movement for Education for All initiated in Jomtien in 1990 and reiterated in Dakar in 2000 — the most important commitment to education in recent decades and which has helped drive significant progress in education.”
Explaining the SDG4 goals, indicators, targets and government’s responsibility, the National Coordinator said the fundamental responsibility for successfully implementing Education 2030 agenda lies with governments, who should be determined to establish legal and policy frameworks that promote accountability and transparency as well as participatory governance and coordinated partnerships at all levels and across sectors, and to uphold the right to participation of all stakeholders. Also a strong global and regional collaboration, cooperation, of the implementation of the education agenda based on data collection, analysis and reporting at the country level, within the framework of regional entities, mechanisms and strategies; and the success of education 2030 agenda requires sound policies and planning as well as efficient implementation arrangements. It is also clear that the aspirations encompassed in the proposed SDG4 cannot be realized without a significant and well -targeted increase in those countries furthest from achieving quality education for all at all levels. This agenda calls for commitment to increase public spending on education in accordance with country context, and urged adherence to the international and regional benchmarks of allocating efficiently at least 4 – 6% of Gross Domestic Product or at least 15 – 20% of total public expenditure to education.
World Vision Education Policy Advisor, Alfred Kamara, explained about the EFA-SL policy brief’s recommendations amongst the recommendations which was highlighted is to revamp the quality of education as this will enhance effective learning outcomes.
He also noted the need to accelerate pre-primary, primary and secondary education and to provide incentive and improve on the capacity of teachers.
OG/22//8/17
By Ophaniel Gooding
Wednesday August 23, 2017.
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