Topical and Sectoral Studies

Date and Time: Friday, 7 March 1997 13:00-18:00
Venue: International Conference Hall
Institute for International Cooperation (IFIC)
Organized by: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Supported by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture
Language: English and Japanese with simultaneous translation

Since their independence in the 1960s and the 70s, Sub-Saharan African countries have invested in the expansion of the modern education system. Primary school enrollment, however, has stagnated and even decreased in many countries with the decline of public investment in education sector under the macroeconomic crisis in the 80s, while the population growth rate remains high. Besides, some studies indicate that the quality of education has been declining in some countries rather than improving.

The Government of Japan has strengthened its assistance for expansion of education in developing countries, in line with the declaration adopted in the World Conference on Education for All in 1990. Also as one of the leading members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Japan has committed itself to cooperate under a global partnership with the international development community to realize universal primary education by the year 2015, one of the targets set by the member countries of DAC in its so-called new development strategy in 1996. As for the development of Africa, the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yukihiko Ikeda at the 9th UNCTAD meeting held in April, 1996 announced a plan to play active roles in education in Africa, mainly for the enhancement of primary education.

JICA, as the implementing agency of technical cooperation and grant aid programs of the government, has always put emphasis on training and education in various sectors. The report of the Aid Study Committee on Education and Development commissioned by JICA in 1993 recommended, among others, to improve the regional distribution of Japan's ODA to Sub-Saharan Africa and to stress aid for basic education as a priority area. Study teams have visited several African countries to formulate new projects in the basic education sector, and research projects are being conducted for better planning, design and implementation of the projects for basic education.

The objective of this seminar is to review, together with experts of the international and bilateral organizations in education development in Africa, the present situation of basic education in Sub-Saharan African countries; to discuss the major development issues regarding access to and quality of basic education in Sub-Saharan Africa; to discuss the roles of African governments and international donors as well as ways to enhance their mutual coordination and cooperation for the attainment of universal primary education in Sub-Saharan Africa; and thus, to contribute to more effective and efficient implementation of Japan's development assistance for basic education in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The keynote speech and presentations

• "Basic Education in Africa"
  ----------by Aicha Bah-Diallo
• "Donor Coordination: Old Ways, MIxed Results, and New Approaches"
  ----------by Richard SACK
• "Basic Education: Sector Wide and School Focused"
  ----------by Terry Allsop
• "Basic Education in Sub-Saharan Africa and Japan's Initiatives for Educational Cooperation"
  ----------by Seiji Utsumi
• "International Seminar on Basic Education and Development Assistance in Sub-Saharan Africa"
  ----------by Nobutake Odano
• "Financing Sustainable Education Programs in Sub-Saharan Africa"
  ----------by Ruth Kagia