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More than six hundred delegates have been meeting in Burkina Faso this week to discuss education in Africa.The aim is to find ways to support economic growth by improving education and job training programs.
The delegates include education ministers and representatives of civil society, business, labor and youth groups.The meeting, held every three years, is known as the Triennial.
Ahlin ByllCataria is executive secretary of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa.His group organized the weeklong conference.He says there is a missing link between education and employment in Africa.For example, schools need to improve technical training for students who do not continue with secondary education.
Mr.ByllCataria says educational programs need to be reshaped to better fit the needs of employers.“For instance, where they have to train engineers, there is a lot of discussion between the schools and the companies in order to know the demands of the companies.So that is exactly what we also want to promote.”
Several West African countries are working together to develop a network of trade and vocational schools.The idea is based in part on a successful example developed by Nigeria.
Mr.ByllCataria says educators are working to connect governmentrun school systems with other groups that are helping educate students.These include nongovernmental organizations, community literacy centers and faithbased groups.Among these groups are Islamic schools，or madrasas that are expanding what they teach.Another subject for the conference was peace education.The idea grew out of the violence in Kenya related to elections in two thousand seven.The idea of peace education has spread to countries including Rwanda, Somalia, Ivory Coast，Sierra Leone and Liberia.New technology offers a way for Africans living elsewhere in the world.For example，a professor from Burkina Faso living in the United States could use videoconferencing to teach a class back home.
Notes：
①representative n．代表，众议员，典型 ②executive adj.实行的，执行的，行政的 ③promote vt.促进，提升，升迁 ④vocational school职业学校
