Africa is ushering into an era that most observers and pundits are predicting will determine its destiny as the continent of the future. But to fulfill this promised bright future, the continent has to come to terms with its education and training systems that are yet to fully shed the weight of its colonial legacy and its own tribulations as a relatively new political and economic entity and player in the world arena.

In the bid to “create” a new African citizen who will be an effective change agent for the continent’s sustainable development as envisioned by the AU and its 2063 Agenda, the African Union Commission has developed a comprehensive ten-year Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 16-25).

This strategy is driven by the desire to set up a “qualitative system of education and training to provide the African continent with efficient human resources adapted to African core values and therefore capable of achieving the vision and ambitions of the African Union.

Over the last two years, the Government of Kenya has been implementing reforms aimed at promoting access and equity in education and training. One imperative of these reforms was the establishment of a complementary and flexible pathway by recognizing experiential learning. Learning happens throughout life, anytime, anywhere from cradle to grave (OECD 2007). This learning leads to acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies that are not recognized and certified, hence disadvantaging the individuals. This RPL policy, therefore, aims at guiding the implementation of recognition of prior learning for improved employability, mobility, self-esteem and advanced learning. The policy aims at mitigating the challenges faced by disadvantaged individuals who possess competencies but lack certification thereby depriving them fair opportunities with those who have attained competencies through the formal education system. The development of this policy was a result of a broad consultation process among sector-wide stakeholders informed by the Constitution of Kenya 2010 that views lifelong learning as an important stimulus and enabler for the country’s socio-economic transformation agenda as stipulated in the national development blueprint, Kenya Vision 2030. It is also anchored on legal and policy frameworks as well as on the aspirations of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development.

This Technical Overview is a contribution to the training programme of Cinterfor, carried out in the context of the development of a regional qualifications framework (webinar of 29/07/2021).

Author

ETF

Eduarda Castel-Branco

29 July 2021

Ten examples from African countries presented in this report show some diversity in terms of scope, and design of RPL / Validation systems, but also several common traits: Angola, Cape Verde, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and Zambia. 

Source: https://acqf.africa/resources/recognition-of-prior-learning/recognition-of-prior-learning-gives-us-wings