Worrying Revelation: At Least 236 million Students Across Continent Africa were Disrupted by Covid-19 Pandemic

Member States of the African Union International Centre for girls and women’s education are meeting in Kampala to advocate for the girl child’s education which was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, The Investigator has learnt.

The continent is now grappling on mitigating the challenges faced by girls and women who dropped out of school as a result of the pandemic, coupled with early pregnancy, illiteracy and economic hardships. The three days` meeting in Kampala is deliberating on the continental and National levels in paving practical ways of addressing key areas for the girls and women livelihood through education and skills empowerment.

Representing the First Lady and Minister for Education and Sports, Hon Janet Kataha Museveni, the Minister for Higher Education, Chrizestom Muyingo noted that girls with disability were most impacted. The African Union Center has embarked on the core mandate to coordinate and promote girls and women’s education in Africa with a view of achieving their economic, social and cultural empowerment as a major strategic objective.

According to Mrs Yankey Simone, the acting Coordinator African Union Int. Centre for Girls & Women’s Education in Africa, the meeting will discuss strategic ways of engaging collaboration to implement the campaign in respective member States at National levels. She called for an urgent attention for the 32.6 million girls out of school with 9.3 million likely to never set foot again at school.

She added that schooling for 236 million students across the continent was disrupted by Covid 19 pandemic.Dr. Clophas Mugenyi is the Commissioner basic education, Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda. He says that “continental statistics are still incomprehensive but Uganda as a partner member State has made cognitive advancements towards the security of the girl child and women in regard to post Covid education and skills empowerment”.

The African Union has strategically implemented two plans and is currently focused on it’s agenda for 2021 to 2025. This underpinning strategic plan has four key areas of; Gender responsive education framework, Curriculum reform and teacher education, Science Technology, Engineering or Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) and, Education in Emergency and Humanitarian Contexts.