East African Community seeks to harmonize regional education systems

The 2nd East African Community (EAC) Regional Education Conference concluded in Nairobi, Kenya, after a four-day summit involving over 600 education leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders from the eight EAC Partner States. The conference focused on addressing learning gaps, unequal access to education, and skills mismatches within the region.

Key objectives include the harmonization of education systems to ensure interoperability as regional integration deepens. Beatrice Askul Moe, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the EAC and Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, emphasized that education systems should allow for learner mobility so that children moving between states do not face interruptions in their schooling. She also highlighted the necessity of investing in teacher professional development, stating, “Curriculum transformation without teacher transformation cannot succeed.”

Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers and Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister, called for stronger regional cooperation. She noted that aligning education policies, curricula, and qualifications is essential to support the integration agenda and prepare learners for an interconnected East African economy.