Tenth Session of the ADEA Steering Committee (Paris, November 9, 10, 1998) previous page | next page The ADEA Steering Committee held its Tenth Session November 9-10, 1998, in Paris, immediately following the meeting of the Bureau of African Ministers of Education. Participants included African Ministers and/or their representatives from 9 countries (Botswana, Chad, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda) and 26 representatives of member funding agencies. Also present as observers and resource persons were: Mr. Marcel Diouf and Ms. Fay Chung (OAU); Ms. Nessa Delaney (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ireland); Mr. Ken Ross (IIEP); Mr. Ko-Chih Tung (UNESCO); Ms. Mmansetsa Marope (Botswana); Mr. Djibril Debourou (Benin); and, Ms. Maureen Woodhall (Rockefeller Foundation). Reports of recent Bureau and Caucus Meetings Hon. Mushega, outgoing Chair of the Bureau of Ministers, reported on the Bureau's meetings in Paris the day before. He announced that Hon. Sibusiso Bengu (South Africa) and Hon. Abderahim Bireme Hamid (Chad) had been elected respectively Chair and Alternate Chair of the Bureau of Ministers in replacement of Hon. Amanya Mushega (Uganda) and Hon. Mamadou Ndoye (Senegal). Review of Working Group activities and work plans Working Group Work Plans were presented to the Steering Committee. A wider discussion on various issues concerning all of the working groups followed. Subjects touched on: coordination between the working groups; accountability concerns, reporting formats and procedural guidelines; development of a database providing detailed information on Working Group activities and products; and, contributions of the Working Groups to the Prospective Stock-taking Review of Education. The discussion led to a debate on: the visibility of the Working Groups in Ministries of Education; the interface between Working Groups and Ministries of Education; and, the role and effectiveness of the Working Groups. It was subsequently decided that an evaluation of the Working Groups would be conducted in 1999. ADEA 1999 Program of Activities ADEA's 1998 Report of Activities and 1999 Program and Budget were adopted by the Steering Committee. 1999 will be a year of consolidation of recently launched activities, with a clear focus on the Biennial Meeting. Discussion centered on: (i) the new Communication for Education activity which was launched in 1998; (ii) continuation of the work initiated in 1998 for the Prospective, Stock-Taking Review of Education in Africa; and, (iii) organization of the 1999 Biennial Meeting. Prospective Stock-Taking Review of Education ADEA is currently undertaking a major review of education in Africa, referred to as the Prospective Stock-Taking Review of Education in Africa. One of the objectives of the study is to identify, within Africa, viable solutions and policies to the problems facing education in Africa. The Steering Committee was briefed on the status of responses and proposals received for the study. A timetable for the different stages of the review was outlined, including holding of the national and regional workshops and development of a synthesis of the country studies. The synthesis document will provide the substantive underpinnings for ADEA's 1999 Biennial Meeting. The Steering Committee was also informed about the EFA 2000 exercise. It was recommended that ADEA and EFA 2000 coordinate closely and that the Steering Committee be kept informed of developments. Organization of the 1999 ADEA Biennial Meeting Hon. Bengu proposed several possible venues for the ADEA Biennial meeting. Subsequent to the Steering Committee meeting, it was decided that the Biennial Meeting would be held December 5-9, 1999 at the Indaba Conference Center located outside of Johannesburg. Other briefings Presentations on various initiatives were made, including: (i) The African Development Bank's new Education Policy Paper; (ii) the OAU Decade of Education; (iii) the USA Initiative for Education in Africa; (iii) the Southern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ). The next Steering Committee Meeting will be held in N'Djamena, Chad, April 13-15, 1999.

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