The Third Ordinary Session of the Sixth Pan-African Parliament (PAP) reconvened here yesterday in Midrand, South Africa with a call on Africa to take concrete steps to decolonise its education system.
The president of the PAP, Fortune Zephania Chirumbura, who made the call said Africa’s education system must focus on “heritage-based education” that supports the economic development of Africa.
“Beyond the rhetoric, Africa must take concrete steps to decolonise education, making sure that education is accessible to every child and developing academic curricula which are relevant and spur economic growth, sustainable development and prosperity in Africa,” Mr Chirumbura told the 275-member legislative organ of the African Union (AU) inaugurated in 2004 with representation from the 55 countries.
It has the mandate to ensure the full participation of Africans in the economic development and integration of the continent.
The theme for the session scheduled for June 24- July 5 is “Educate an African fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa.”
The president rejected attempts to downplay the effectiveness of the PAP, adding that PAP did not implement policies and programmes but exercise oversight responsibility, and called for adequate budgetary allocations to support its activities.
Touching on global issues, Mr Chirumbura commended South Africa for taking Israel to the International Court of Justice to seek justice for the atrocities being committed on the Palestinians in Gaza.
Ghana’s five-member representative to the PAP is being led by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Wusu.
The rest are Annoh Dompreh (Majority Chief, NPP- Nsawam Adoagyiri); Governs Agbodza (Minority Chief Whip, NDC- Adaklu); Mubarak Muntaka Mohammed (NDC- Asawase); and Dr Freda Prempeh (NPP- Tano North).
The guest of honour, Adel Abdul-Rahaman Al Asoomi, President of the Arab Parliament, called for a joint action plan from the Arab Parliament and PAP to advance cooperation and achieve the aspirations of their people.
There were virtual solidarity messages from Javier Nino Perez, European Union Ambassador to AU; Remy Ngoy Lumbu, Chairperson of African Commission on Human and People’s Right; Justice Madibo Sacko, Vice President of African Court on Human and People’s Right and in-person by Marie- Antionette Quatre, Chief Executive Officer of African Peer Review Mechanism and Hanan Jarrah, Ambassador of Palestine to the Republic of South Africa, among others.
New members from Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Lesotho, Liberia, Nigeria, Tunisia, Sierra-Leone and Zimbabwe were sworn in.
Over the next two weeks the African Parliamentarians will go into committee sittings, regional caucuses and plenary session to consider and debate on reports of various issues bothering the citizens of Africa.
FROM ALHAJI SALIFU ABDUL-RAHAMAN, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
