Africa’s COVID-19 case counts have touched 847,109 with increased recoveries of 491,016 and 17,676 deaths. Southern Africa has continued to register the highest tally in cases, followed by North, West, East, and Central Africa regions. Within the South, South Africa has the maximum number of cases followed by Egypt and Nigeria. Regardless, Nigeria has extended its second phase of easing restrictions whereas countries like Kenya have extended their curfew when the number of cases jumped. It has been projected that economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa will decline from 2.4% in 2019 to -3.1% in 2020.

With a concerted multilateral approach, African Higher Education is tackling pandemics (COVID-19, Ebola, Malaria), food, security, climate change, and also the building of knowledge infrastructure- particularly with Big Data and Artificial Sciences. Some regions and countries have implemented online learning at universities along with the digitization of the official curricula as an effort towards making education accessible via online learning and broadcasts. There has been a general lifting of international travel restrictions, however, some countries remain cautious. About 40 institutions from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia were consulted on online education proceduce and practice.

News from NORTH AFRICA

Algeria – Algeria announced the renewal of its partial lockdown across 29 provinces. In the midst of the political standoff, Covid-19 offers an opportunity for economic dialogue. Algeria is set to grant special health plans to 260,000 medical staffers. IELTS tests are to be held in the month of August as per the announced dates. 

Egypt – The country starts to reopen as airport resumes activity and other public transport is resumed. Government issues new restrictions to co-exist with COVID-19 with effect from 26 July.
Thanaweyya Amma (or school leaving) exams that lead to GSEC (General Secondary Education Certificate) will serve as entrance test for Egyptian public universities.

Morocco – Ministry of the Interior announced the temporary closing of 514 factories and businesses by authorities for non-compliance with sanitation measures. The health emergency decree (grants power to required sections of the country under lockdown) has been extended to 10^th August. Morocco has banned travel to and from major cities. The country’s baccalaureate exams were conducted earlier this month. However, certain students, especially from Taounate, have demanded re-correction of their baccalaureate exams.

Tunisia – The number of active coronavirus cases in the country rose from 200 to 1400 in a span of 2 weeks. Travel agencies have been severely hit as the pandemic pummels tourism. The success rate at the main session of the Tunisia Baccalaureate exams stands at a 27.73%.  In some of the regions, protests have arisen over unemployment.

News from EAST AFRICA

Kenya – Kenya’s Covid count has risen to 18,000, leading to its curfew being extended for another month. Five international airlines have resumed flights in and out of Kenya from Tuesday, and domestic flights have also restarted amidst an upsurge in cases. A brief on revised school reopening dates will take place shortly, as schools may not resume in September as expected. Consequently, KCSE and KCPE exams have been postponed. Private school teachers face massive layoffs. The phased reopening of universities is to start in September once they abide by regulatory safety guidelines.

Mauritius – Reopening of Mauritius’s borders will bring risks and opportunities to its tourism sector. The country spent $265 million on virus wages and received medical supplies from other countries. Mauritius plans to strengthen its vigilance to safeguard its financial hub against illicit purposes by setting up Management Information Systems to monitor KPIs.

News from WEST AFRICA

Ghana – The President announced easing of COVID-19 restrictions by lifting the ban on places of worship.  The highly praised post-COVID strategy has gone awry with the health system’s inability to cope with the pandemic. Senior High School final year students started writing their West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from 20 July. 127,143 students in Universities and other tertiary institutions have all completed their final examinations virtually.

Nigeria – The Federal Government has extended phase 2 of its eased lockdown till August 6. Aviation authorities released a new list of airports that are open for domestic flights. International flights will resume soon. The Government announced the reopening of exit classes for secondary schools on August 4, which will allow students 2 weeks to prepare for their West African Examination Council (WAEC) scheduled on August 17, 2020. The unanimous decision was reached during a virtual consultative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), the Commissioner of Education, and the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT).

Cameroon – Airline services have resumed with special operating authorization given to operate commercial passenger flights. Students are preparing for competitive exams, such as Higher Teachers’ Training College, National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM), and the National Advanced School of Engineering. The calendar for these exams has been set for July-August 2020. Primary and Secondary schools are due to start in October for higher education.

News from SOUTHERN AFRICA

South Africa – The country has the fifth-highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world reaching over 420,000 on 24 July. Schools to close for 4 weeks to curb the spread of the virus. Grade 12 teachers and students will only take a 1-week break while grade 7 will resume classes after 2 weeks. Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said that there would be a staggered approach to welcoming students back to universities, which means the 2020 academic year will conclude only in 2021.

Zambia – The government says there will be no lockdown despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases recorded. Some schools will remain closed and others reopened with complete regulations in place including mandatory use of masks and regular temperature checks. 

WWEC Initiatives

1. 24 July: The Q&A Instagram Live with Canadian immigration lawyer Josh Schachnow was very well received, especially in light of new IRCC developments that will impact international students. The Live was attended by over 400 participants who shared their many concerns till the very end of the one-hour session. The IGTV was subsequently viewed by 500+ students.
2. In an effort to reach out to top international schools of Bangladesh, a Canadian University Webinar is planned on 10 August by 7 universities partnered with WWEC, in collaboration with local counsellors. Participating institutions are University of Windsor, University of Victoria, Brock University, University of Ottawa, Vancouver Island University, King’s University College and University of Lethbridge.

OUR RESOURCES Worldwide EduConnect International Recruitment Solutions: https://worldeduconnect.com/ WWEC LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/worldwide-educonnect Maple Assist Blog: https://www.mapleassist.com/blogs/ Maple Assist YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXFhQ5_uIF4cQLidiOO_m-Q Scotiabank Resource Centre for Newcomers to Canada: https://startright.scotiabank.com/covid-19-resources.html