"Education is not an employment bureau for adults" says Graeme Bloch
"African Education Week provides a platform to air problems and find solutions: such platforms are very important. We have to talk; we have to hear each other. This is the only way to decide on priorities, to agree on solutions, to find real pathways to real quality" says independent education specialist Graeme Bloch.
Bloch, moderator of this year's African Education Week opening session on 20 June at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa is also a regular contributor to African Education Week, which takes place from 19-22 June 2013, says "It is the discussions, the meeting of colleagues, the wide input of stakeholders and the practical orientation that keeps bringing me back to African Education Week."
Now in its seventh year, it remains the continent's leading educational resources and training event, attracting more education professionals than any other event. The conference programme addresses challenges in Basic as well as Further and Higher Education and the Technology Indaba focuses on the increasingly important roles of technology and e-learning in the classroom.
Get our schools working
Asked what made him smile and what made him worry regarding South African education, Bloch states, "The kids are what make me smile, their energy and optimism. They will fly if we let them. Education is not an employment bureau for adults."
He continues "the main challenge is a big one: to get our schools working. We need better accountability from politicians and government; better teaching; fair and more resources to fight poverty. Jobs for our young people. It will not be easy or quick: we have to do it: parents, community and teachers working with government."
The event is increasingly becoming pan-African, with an international panel discussion part of this year's programme:
Discussion theme: "Developing more effective school and higher education institutional partnerships"
Says Bloch "Meeting colleagues from other African countries, sharing issues and solutions, is very helpful. This continent is moving and it needs our children's talents. Which other platform encourages such wide participation from across the continent?"
Practical workshops for teachers
The African Education Week Learning Expo offers more than 60 free workshops for teachers to help them further their professional and personal development. These include:
Career Indaba
While teachers and educators are attending lectures, workshops and networking opportunities, learners can also attend the co-located Career Indaba for free. More than 4,000 learners were at this expo last year. Career Indaba aims to bridge the gap for students between studying and entering the world of work with workshops on career guidance in a variety of fields, job interview and CV writing tips, celebrity appearances and much more.
For more, go to www.educationweek.co.za and www.careerindaba.co.za
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