PETITION CLOSED

  • The time period for signing this petition has ended.
Tell African leaders: protect and revitalize higher education in Africa
  1. Signatures
    337 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. Head, Education Division, Department of Human Resources Science and Technology (HRST), AUC (Beatrice Njenga)
  2. Created By
    IDUKA CORPORATION
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

“Contrary to the conventional wisdom that basic education is sufficient for African development, higher education builds the intellectual capital required for sustainable development.” — Suzanne Grant Lewis, Partnership for Higher Education in Africa 

African Leaders need to know that their constituents care about education and support their commitment to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG 2) of achieving universal primary education for all by 2015. However, that cannot happen at the expense of higher education.

Rwanda’s recent decision to reallocate a large percentage of its higher education budget to the primary education sector is not the model to follow if we are serious about accommodating the newly enrolled primary school aged children, eradicating poverty and unleashing Africa’s full potential.

According to the UNESCO, a total of 1.2 million additional teachers are needed in the region to reach the internationally agreed goal of getting all children into primary school by 2015. Without continuing investment in higher education we will not be able to train these new teachers and ensure that, by 2015, all children have access to and complete primary education that is free, compulsory and of good quality.

Adding to the pressure is the impact of the global financial crisis that is forcing many poor countries to make further cuts to higher education. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) reported earlier this month that “Mozambique’s education sector, which has made remarkable progress over the past 10 years, narrowly avoided having to cut 20% of its education funding and reduce by half its new school building programme following a last minute and much welcomed bail-out by the World Bank which provided $56 million.”

If we are to meet the MDG 2, we must stand up against drastic money-saving measures, including enlarging classes, closing schools, laying off teachers, and imposing further cuts to higher education.

You can help protect and revitalize higher education in Africa! Ask African leaders to strengthen higher education by signing this petition now. We will deliver this petition to the: AU Chairperson, AUC Chairperson, AU Human Resources, Science and Technology Commissioner, and AU Head of Education Division.

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Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

A campaign to protect and revitalize higher education in Africa.

Greetings,

We applaud your efforts to ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling by 2015. However, we cannot accept attaining such a noble endeavor at the expense of higher education.

Rwanda’s recent decision to reallocate a large percentage of its higher education budget to the primary education sector is not the model to follow if we are serious about achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Without continuing investment in higher education we will not be able to train the 1.2 million qualified teachers still needed to educate the millions of newly enrolled children. Neither would we be able to qualify the medical practitioners needed to ensure healthcare, the scientists and engineers we need to guarantee adequate innovation, food security, and sustainable development – that ultimately will eradicate disease and poverty in Africa. De-funding higher education is a sure way to keep Africa at the bottom of the heap and to destroy our hope of a better future for our continent.

We believe in the words of John Agyekum Kufuor, former president of Ghana, when he wisely noted, “Education, particularly higher education, will take Africa into the mainstream of globalization.”

We need you to stay committed to the revitalization of higher education in Africa and to reaffirm your unconditional support of the Plan of Action for the Second Decade of Education for Africa (2006-2015) as defined by the African Union (AU). We call on you to adopt effective regulations to protect and revitalize higher education across the continent. Africa needs your leadership in staying the course of ensuring MDG 2 without de-funding higher education.

Sincerely,

The undersigned

[FRENCH VERSION]

[Your name]

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