Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) at the heart of KIX objectives
The African Union, in partnership with the KIX Africa 21 Hub, organized a new meeting on EMIS from December 3 to 5, 2024, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Representatives from Burkina Faso, Burundi, Guinea, Mali, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo met to share their experiences and enrich the content of the Lomé Call to Action [French only], produced in April 2024 by KIX Africa 21 partner countries.
The African Union’s (AU) EMIS strategy aims to improve policies and practices to strengthen member states’ national education systems, in order to achieve “equitable quality education for all” (SDG4) and accelerate the implementation of the AU’s Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA).
Dr. Maïmouna Sissoko-Touré, coordinator of the KIX Africa 21 Hub, stressed the need for this meeting: “Education is an essential pillar in the development of African societies, and information systems are playing an increasingly crucial role in the management of this strategic sector. They are powerful tools, enabling better collection, analysis and use of data to improve the quality, accessibility and efficiency of educational services. This workshop is intended as a forum for exchange, mutual learning and collective reflection. Together, we will explore best practices, discuss challenges and identify innovative solutions to strengthen our educational information systems.”
The aim of the meeting, which included plenary sessions, panel discussions and group work, was to build and strengthen education-sector planning and policy implementation in partner countries, by sharing knowledge on priority EMIS needs. In particular, it discussed the strategies developed to meet the challenges linked to the use of data in Africa.
Over the course of three days, education experts and professionals highlighted ways to build capacity and improve the management of educational information.
The GPE-KIX Afrique 21 focal point from Togo praised the project’s progress: “The workshop now drawing to a close in Addis Ababa is a follow-up to the one held in Lomé, Togo, last April. At the end of the workshop, experts from participating countries adopted a ‘Call to Action’ to strengthen EMIS capacities in KIX Africa 21 countries, improve monitoring of CESA and SDG4 indicators, and establish a continent-wide EMIS community of practice. I would like to reiterate the willingness of the Minister of Education of the Republic of Togo to advocate for the strengthening of EMIS among his peers, and for our countries.”
A strong commitment that echoes the satisfaction shared by all participants, and which will set the improvement process in motion within governments. So, once we’ve established a precise baseline of national EMIS priorities, the KIX Africa 21 Hub can be called upon to provide the appropriate support for a tangible improvement in Africa’s education sector.
