EAC pushes for harmonised education systems to close regional learning gaps

East African Community (EAC) Partner States have renewed calls for stronger cooperation in education, with leaders pushing for harmonized curricula, qualifications and teacher development to close persistent learning gaps and prepare young people for an increasingly integrated regional economy.

The call was made on Thursday in Nairobi during the opening of the four-day 2nd  EAC Regional Education Conference, which has brought together more than 600 education leaders, policymakers, researchers and stakeholders from the eight Partner States.

The conference is addressing persistent challenges including unequal access to quality education, teacher shortages, skills mismatches, inadequate resources and weak transitions between levels of education.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Cabinet Secretary for the EAC and Arid and Semi-Arid Lands Beatrice Askul Moe, who represented President William Ruto, called for greater investment in teachers, professional development and improved working conditions.

“As regional integration deepens, our systems must become more interoperable. A child moving between Partner States should not have their education interrupted because they crossed a border,” said Askul.

She said curriculum reforms would not succeed without corresponding investment in teachers.

“Curriculum transformation without teacher transformation cannot succeed. As a region, we should regard our teachers not simply as employees of national systems, but as a community of East African professionals,” she said.

Askul also called for education systems that promote equity and allow greater mobility of learners across the region.

The Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and Uganda's First Deputy Prime Minister, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, said education must remain central to the region's integration agenda.

Kadaga called for the alignment of education policies, curricula and qualifications to facilitate the movement of learners and skilled workers across Partner States.

She said education systems must also equip young people with skills relevant to the region's changing economy.

EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors Ariik Malueth said the Community had developed regional frameworks to support harmonization and improve education outcomes.

“At basic education level, the EAC has developed strategies to support harmonization and strengthen the foundations for lifelong learning and skills development,” said Malueth.

He said the EAC TVET Qualifications Framework had been developed and was awaiting approval. The framework is expected to promote recognition of qualifications, skills mobility and stronger links between training institutions and the regional labour market.

Malueth said the EAC was also developing guidelines for education statistics to improve the availability of reliable and comparable data for policymaking.

At higher education level, the Community is advancing the East African Common Higher Education and Research Area, focusing on harmonization, innovation, partnerships and mobility of knowledge and skilled graduates.

“These initiatives demonstrate that regional cooperation in education is already producing practical frameworks. Our responsibility now is to ensure that these frameworks translate into better learning, stronger institutions, relevant skills and greater opportunities for East Africans,” he said.

Tanzania's Minister for Education, Science and Technology Adolf Mkenda called for greater focus on foundational learning, saying strong basic education is critical to improving learning outcomes.

Despite expanded access and reforms across the region, significant inequalities persist, particularly among children in rural and marginalized communities, learners with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

Teacher shortages, limited resources and uneven learning quality continue to undermine education outcomes, while weak transitions between education levels restrict opportunities for many young people.

Dr Mary Goretti, Executive Director of Uwezo Uganda and Board Chair of RELI Africa, said the conference provides an important platform for policymakers, researchers and practitioners to turn evidence into action.

She called for stronger links between research, policy and implementation to ensure reforms deliver better learning outcomes.

The conference is reviewing progress since the inaugural regional education conference held in Arusha in 2024, while seeking to identify implementation gaps and agree on areas requiring greater political, technical and financial commitment.

Key priorities include foundational learning, teacher development, inclusive education, digitalization, TVET and skills development, stronger links between education and industry, research and data, and sustainable education financing and governance.

The conference is expected to produce practical policy recommendations and a regional communiqué or roadmap outlining commitments, priority initiatives, timelines and next steps.