Building Excellence In Africa's Education

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today” Building excellence is not a journey that can be achieved in a day but a gradual journey which is never an accident but is born out of being intentional, committing sincere effort, intelligent direction, skilful execution and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities hence the need to invest more in quality education which leads to excellence.

The growth in the world's labour market is in Africa. Education is a critical means by which Africa's human capital can be developed. Africa's population increases each day and this continent will be home to a billion children and adolescents under 18 years of age, almost 40 per cent of all children and adolescents in the 0-18 age group worldwide. Investing in the future of young ones today would definitely yield mind-boggling results in the years to come and one major channel to achieve this vision is through education. Children and adolescents who receive the right opportunities have an advantage to better thrive and develop their full potential which would be beneficial for the individual, community, nation and the world as a whole. Africa's young population can be a powerful source of growth and progress in Africa and the world if given the right access and opportunities. Only then can African countries position themselves to reap the benefits of increased economic productivity

Over years, Africa's educational system has had challenges with quality, equity and relevance which must be addressed for excellence to be reached. From the primary to higher level of education in Africa, the drivers of inequality in education are many and complex, yet the response to these challenges revolves around simple and sound policies which will aid in solving other developmental issues such as inclusive growth, the eradication of poverty and exclusion, increased investment in education and human development, good governance and many more.

Since the early 2000s, African countries have made efforts to improve access to education with stunning results however, more needs to be done to reach excellence. For example, in the Times Higher

Education Ranking which is an international education ranking, out of 1500 listed universities only 60 African universities were included of which 31 were located in Egypt and South Africa. The importance of education to the African continent intensifies the need to build excellence in education because providing high-quality education today will help build the skills for the world's future workforce, increase incomes, and grow economies.

Building excellence entails collaborative work from all its stakeholders; the government, teachers and students to review and diversify their systems of education and expand the level of skills to make products of institutions relevant to the demands of the labour market. To build excellence, all aspects of education must be reviewed and focused on. These include; institutional supply, human capital, research output, infrastructure, and quality of graduates for the labour market among many others.

One critical area for excellence is human capital in the educational field. From management of educational institutions to tutors and lectures brought on board, the right and qualified people for the job should be engaged. These people should have integrity as a hall mark and both a personal and collaborative desire towards achieving excellent in their field. Every step of the ladder and decisions made must be targeted towards top notch deliveries which will improve the educational sector by day

Also, the curricula of Africa's educational system must be critically revised if excellence is the goal. The quality of graduates remains problematic because of persistent mismatches between graduates and skills requirements of the job market which has translated into high levels of unemployment in societies. The gap between the knowledge taught in school and the practicality of the job market must be addressed from the lower levels to the higher levels.

The promotion of holistic and innovative curricula that impart skills for the jobs of the 21st century; adopting and using educational technologies that support the whole student for student success going beyond the certificate given and the creation of effective policies and interventions to address this will an build up and give a sense of direction in preparing graduates fit for the job market.

Bridging The Gap Between Education And The Job Market

Installing the culture of research from lower educational levels is an important aspect of building excellence as the research culture in most European states have yielded results in their economies.

According to the latest UNESCO Science Report 2021, Africa spends only 0.59% of GDP on research and development, compared to a world average of 1.79%. Being involved in research at an early age builds on one's mindset from an early stage and will help discover numerous gaps that need to be worked on for Africa's development. Research and development will guide Africans into field that can be explored for excellence, growth and development.

Another aspects is the investment in infrastructure taking into consideration the technological advancement and transformation. Educational excellence partly depends on the state of teaching and learning facilities: classrooms, libraries, laboratories, recreational amenities, and campus housing. Africa needs to continually upgrade infrastructure to meet the changing demographics of students, curricula and demands of 21st-century higher education taking into consideration the digital era we live in. There is a need to embed digital transformation in institutional culture, from strategic planning and organisational structures, to operational processes, to rethink capital expenditures that historically favoured physical contact; develop online design competencies; entrench technologymediated modalities of teaching and learning encompassing faceto-face, blended and online; and embrace changes in terms of curricula design and delivery that involves students as active participants in the learning process rather than passive consumer achieving this goal.

Repositioning Towards Digital

Education In Africa

In addition, exercising prudential financial management and promoting financial sustainability Finance is a key issue in building educational excellence. For excellence to be attained in this sector, finance is immensely need. The African continent is not one that can boast of wealth as it has been ranked as a low income continent. Striving for excellence means investing in every step of the journey and the need of funds cannot be overlooked. Funds raised by governments and institutions must be invested in innovative, entrepreneurial activities and sustainable development. Also, revenues used should be a accounted for

Furthermore, creating partnerships as well as strengthening existing partnerships with international institutions and intergovernmental organizations will aid build excellence. Learning from International educational systems which have made progress in quality education is possible through partnerships as it offers an avenue to explore areas and gain adequate aid needed to grow excellence in Africa.

Building excellence in Africa's education might seem like an impossible dream but when all it's stakeholders are committed to seeing a change and transformation this dream would surely become a reality. Some governments in Africa have taken a step in the right direction and this is reflected in innovative ideas, innovations and inventions of African specifically in the vocational and technical field striving for excellence today would serve the continent better tomorrow particularly in the development of many of it's nations. Hence, all African nations must be willing to sacrifice and commit all necessary resources toward this goal for a hope in the global world for it's generation.