NAIROBI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The eight member states of the East African Community (EAC) renewed their commitment on Wednesday to accelerating education reforms to boost youth literacy, expand vocational skills, and drive regional competitiveness.
During the second EAC Regional Education Conference in Nairobi, senior officials emphasized that overhauling formal learning is critical to closing the skills gap, lowering unemployment, and accelerating economic growth.
Convened by the Kenyan government, the EAC, and development partners, the five-day conference is centered on the theme "Transforming Education in East Africa: From commitments to impact, fostering resilience and future-ready systems for sustainable development," and brings together nearly 600 delegates, including education ministers, academics, development donors, and civil society leaders.
Kenyan President William Ruto emphasized that the future prosperity of the 300 million-strong East African Community depends on investing in lifelong youth education and market-ready skill sets.
To this end, Ruto called on member states to scale up investments in educational technology, teacher upskilling, and competence-based curricula to improve educational outcomes across the region.
Andrea Ariik Malueth, deputy secretary general of EAC, noted that the bloc is encouraging member states to align their policy and regulatory frameworks to strengthen foundational learning, expand vocational training, and enable cross-border skills mobility.
He emphasized that education reforms must prioritize equipping young people with analytical thinking, digital literacy, adaptability, creativity, and practical problem-solving skills.
