AFRICA: LATEST UPDATES

The number of registered Covid-19 cases across Africa have now surpassed the 1.5 million mark, according to the continent’s World Health Organization chapter. As per latest statistics, the past four weeks have seen only 77,147 new COVID-19 cases compared to 131,647 recorded in the previous four weeks. Despite a lowering of cases in the continent, countries have been warned against becoming complacent. WHO Research has revealed that Africa’s unusually low COVID-19 cases and death counts could be attributed to social and environmental factors such as its young and sparse population and its hot and humid climate.

Several African countries are hoping for debt relief in light of their economies have suffered because of the virus. It has been suggested that building an African financial system with the help of the African diaspora may be more useful. The recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting African countries harder than others, and they lack the means to cushion the shock with aid packages worth billions. At the same time, the global demand for their raw materials is collapsing. And remittances – the money Africans living abroad send home – are also decreasing.

Certain countries such as South Africa and Kenya are major economic centers, also remain important hubs for broader regional and continental expansion. Other countries attracting interest by virtue of their “free economies” are Mauritius and Rwanda, which are the only African nations featured in the Top 50 of the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 list. Other nations may be more tricky to access but hold the significant promise of growth.

News from NORTH AFRICA

Algeria – The new school year will begin nationwide on 21 October for primary education, and on 4 November for intermediate and secondary education, according to the statement of the Council of Minister meeting held last Sunday. 15 November is set to be the start of the new year for the vocational training sector. The new university year will commence on 22 November.

Egypt – 30 health-related recommendations have been issued for schools for the 2020-2021 academic year to protect students from spreading and contracting the coronavirus. Students at universities will not be physically attending lectures at faculties on a daily basis. As part of the precautionary measures for the upcoming academic year, students of theory-based faculties will attend classes for two or three days a week, while students of practical colleges will attend three or four days per week. The Ministry of Education had talks with a Japanese team of mentors who will play a pivotal role in improving the performance of teachers and students of Egyptian-Japanese schools. There are about 43 Egyptian-Japanese schools in 24 governorates during the 2020-2021 school year, and these schools are scheduled to adopt the regulations of schools in Japan.

Morocco – The Government announced its decision to extend firm lockdown measures in the city of Casablanca for 2 more weeks from 5 October. Despite maintaining lockdown measures, the reopening of schools will also begin by 5 October. Universities are set to commence with their new academic year in mid-October and will follow a hybrid model of teaching.

News from EAST AFRICA

Kenya – The country had previously declared the school year lost, however, a drop in coronavirus cases has meant that some schools have reopened. KCPE exams will take place from 22-24 March 2021, while KCSE exams will start on 25 March and end by 16 April 2021. Kenyan universities and colleges which had closed in March have started a phased reopening. Final year students are expected to be in college for two weeks to complete their Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) assessments slated to run from 13 to 15 October. Those in their final year of Primary Teacher Education (PTE) are also expected to report this week and sit for their examinations between 23 November and 2 December.

Mauritius – Mauritius is finally easing some of its COVID-19 travel restrictions. CGTN reports that the Government is hopeful that this move will help revive the crucial tourism sector that has been badly hit by the pandemic.

News from WEST AFRICA

Ghana – Schools finally reopened across the country on 5 October for second-year students in junior and senior high schools, after seven months of closure. The reopening will enable students to complete their course work for the 2019-2020 academic year. The 46 public Colleges  of Education in Ghana are now offering a new 4-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree programme from the 2020-2021 academic year, replacing the 3-year Diploma in Basic Education (DBE) programme.

Nigeria – COVID-19 cases in Africa’s most populous country have steadily fallen in recent weeks. This drop has spurred the decision to reopen schools. Federal government schools are to reopen from 12 October, while schools run by states and private owners may open according to their own timetable. The Federal Ministry of Education has put in place a roadmap to guide the reopening of universities. However, there are still impediments in the form of resistance from staff. The Edo State government has partnered with Amazon to provide top-of-the-range cloud computing training to undergraduates. Institutions that will benefit from this initiative include the University of Benin, Ambrose Alli University, Benson Idahosa University, Igbinedion University, Edo University, and some polytechnics.

Cameroon – According to the Government, the country has been able to considerably reduce the spread of the disease which has been officially confirmed in over 20,000 people. Results could be seen on the streets of Cameroon on Monday morning when more than 7 million children and their teachers returned to schools for the first time in seven months. Institutes of higher education will reopen on 15 October.

News from SOUTHERN AFRICA

South Africa – With the country moving down to Level 1 of the lockdown, the Department of Higher Education is now in a position to welcome back all university students, including international students who are currently outside the country. All universities have implemented plans to bring back students and staff from 1 October. The reopening of universities for the new academic year in 2021 will also be affected by the school exit examination, the results of which will be available on 23 February. Consequently, the academic year will now begin between 8 and 12 March 2021. University of Pretoria and Partnership for African Social Governance Research have entered into a new partnership to boost African research capacity, especially for postgraduate students and early to mid-career researchers.

Zambia – Schools across Zambia reopened on 21 September with the greatest concern for the adherence of COVID-19 safety measures. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) introduced its online accreditation platform to 42 Programme Accreditation Evaluators which allows them to completely evaluate and submit their conclusions. From 11 September 2020, Southern University was deregistered from operating as a higher education institution within the Republic of Zambia.

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