AU Pan African Institute of Education for Development

Across Eastern and Southern Africa, turning school re-entry policies into real opportunities for pregnant and parenting adolescents remains a significant challenge.

This Thursday, together with the UNICEF Global Programme Division and the GPE KIX Africa 19 Hub, we're launching the Community of Practice on Gender Equality in Education. The inaugural session, The Right to Return: Advancing School Re-entry Policies and Practice, will share key findings from across 21 countries and implementation lessons from Somalia, Tanzania, and Zambia.

📅 30 July 2026
🕒 2:00–4:00 p.m. EAT (1:00–3:00 p.m. CEST | 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. GMT)
🔗 Register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/nsEblUXWQaWyGFfUM3_vkQ?

Issue #13 of the KIX Africa 19 Hub newsletter is now available.

This issue looks back at a 2025 Community of Practice, where 163 educators from 22 countries came together to discuss teacher education reform, and follows Kenya's work to put education research to use in policy decisions. It also covers workshops with the AU Pan African Institute of Education for Development in Burundi and the Republic of Congo on strengthening education data systems.

Looking ahead: the 5th GPE KIX Africa Research Symposium takes place in Kenya from 21 to 23 October 2026, and the next Africa Teachers webinar, on improving educational opportunities for disadvantaged girls, is tomorrow, on 16 July.

Read Issue #13: https://mailchi.mp/unesco/kix-africa-19-hub-newsletter-18259137

IDRC / CRDI Global Partnership for Education UNICEF Africa

Today we mark under the theme:

Across Africa, young people are driving innovation, strengthening communities, and shaping the continent's future. Unlocking this potential requires inclusive, future-ready, and resilient education systems that equip every learner with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

At the African Union Pan-African Institute of Education for Development (IPED), we support African Union Member States to strengthen education systems through reliable data, evidence-informed policymaking and knowledge sharing. Strong education data systems help turn ambition into action - informing decisions, improving learning outcomes and expanding opportunities for Africa’s youth.

📢 Deadline Extended!

The call for abstracts for the 5th GPE KIX Africa Research Symposium has been extended to 10 July 2026.

Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to the conversation on financing education transformation across the continent.

The call for abstracts for the 5th GPE KIX Africa Research Symposium is still open, with submissions now closing on 10 July 2026.

The Symposium examines how African countries are financing their education systems amid fiscal pressure, rising demand, and growing calls for transformation. It brings together Ministries of Education and Finance, researchers, development partners, regional institutions, and civil society around evidence on financing reforms, allocation models, and approaches that have shown policy uptake.

Researchers, policymakers, and practitioners are invited to submit 300-word abstracts in English, French, or Portuguese across six thematic areas, from financing for access and equity to resilience, climate, and crisis response.

Deadline: 10 July 2026.

Read the call and submit: https://iped.africa/news-event/gpe-kix-symposium-2026?lang=en

Global Partnership for Education IDRC / CRDI AU Pan African Institute of Education for Development UNICEF Africa CONFEMEN Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)

🎥 New Episode: Voices from the Data Frontline – South Sudan

What does it take to strengthen education data systems in a complex and evolving national context?

In Episode 2 of the , we hear from Ministry officials at South Sudan’s Ministry of General Education and Instruction who are directly involved in education data and EMIS work, namely
Mr. Mabor Tur, South Sudan’s Africa 19 Hub Focal Point and Deputy Director of E-learning, ICT and Innovation, Ms. Alice Taddeo, Deputy Manager for Data & Statistics, EMIS, and Mr. Giir Mabior Cyerdit, EMIS Deputy Director.

Emerging from the Education Management Information System strengthening mission led by Coordinator NOUBATOUR Adoumtar in Juba this March 2026, the episode reflects on South Sudan’s efforts to improve education data collection, management, validation, and use for planning and decision-making.

The conversation highlights the importance of capacity strengthening, data quality, coordination, and ensuring that education data is accessible and usable for national priorities.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/91lTlxxNJuI

African Union | Global Partnership for Education | IDRC / CRDI UNICEF Unesco International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa - IICBA KIX Africa 19 Hub

Voices from the Data Frontline | Episode 2 | South Sudan In this episode, we hear from Mr. Mabor Tur, South Sudan’s ...

UNESCO IICBA is inviting proposals for two consultancies supporting Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) in Africa, delivered through the KIX Africa 19 Hub with support from Global Partnership for Education and the IDRC / CRDI.

The first covers EMIS policy development in Liberia and EMIS data analytical support in Eritrea. Terms of Reference:https://www.iicba.unesco.org/sites/default/files/medias/fichiers/2026/06/TOR%20for%20GPEKIX%20Activites%20in%20Eritrea%20and%20Liberia%20Form%20AM10-10%20ENG-Final%20%28003%29.pdf

The second supports capacity building for EMIS district officers in Lesotho and senior officials across ministries in Eswatini, focused on education data use and evidence-based education planning. Terms of Reference:https://www.iicba.unesco.org/sites/default/files/medias/fichiers/2026/06/TOR%20EMIS%20Lesotho%20and%20Eswatini%20Form%20AM10-10%20ENG-Final.pdf

Together, the assignments strengthen how ministries collect, analyse, and use education data to plan and deliver.

Deadline for proposals: 5 July 2026.

ONLY 13 DAYS LEFT TO SUBMIT! ⏰

📢 Call for Abstracts – 5th GPE-KIX Africa Research Symposium
The countdown is on! We have just 14 days remaining before the call for abstracts closes on 30 June 2026.

What education financing reforms have demonstrated measurable results across Africa?

The 5th GPE-KIX Africa Research Symposium invites researchers, policymakers, practitioners, government institutions, and development partners to share evidence and experiences from across Africa on financing reforms that have influenced policy, strengthened implementation, improved equity, enhanced efficiency, or supported learning outcomes.

Thematic areas include:
🔹 Financing for access and equity
🔹 Financing for ECE, foundational learning and the teacher workforce
🔹 Financing for skills and secondary-age pathways
🔹 Financing for data systems, technology and system efficiency
🔹 Financing for resilience, climate and crisis response

📍 Mombasa, Kenya
📅 20–22 October 2026
🗓 Submission Deadline: 30 June 2026
🔗 Abstract Submission Link: https://iped.africa/news-event/gpe-kix-symposium-2026?lang=en

AU Pan African Institute of Education for Development Global Partnership for Education IDRC / CRDI CONFEMEN Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)

Mr. Noubatour Adoumtar, Coordinator of the African Union’s Pan African Institute for Education for Development (AU-IPED), is attending the DHIS2 Annual Conference 2026 ( ) in Oslo, Norway, from 15 to 18 June. He joins Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, representatives from NORAD, and other key partners.

During the conference, Mr. Adoumtar is co-leading a session with Dr. Alausa, contributing to discussions on education data systems and reforms across Africa. He is also engaging with country teams benefiting from the Africa 19 project, while supporting collaboration with KIX 21 countries, including Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, and Burundi.

As part of his participation, Mr. Adoumtar is holding meetings with Ms. Randi Gramshaug from NORAD and representatives from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) to strengthen collaboration. He is also meeting with Mr. Svein Stølen, former Rector of the University of Oslo, Ms. Marianne Knarud of the Global University Academy, and Ms. Sophia Kousiakis of HISP Africa to explore further areas of partnership.

His participation focuses on three key themes:
✔️ Strengthening Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) across Africa.
✔️ Promoting the digitalization of EMIS, with a focus on the open-source DHIS2 platform.
✔️ Building sustainable partnerships that support African-led education data systems beyond funding cycles.

Speaking on the durability of education data systems, Mr. Adoumtar emphasized that lasting systems require strong political leadership, ministry ownership and governance, active use of data, and the alignment of indicators with and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa ( ).

Mr. Adoumtar’s participation reflects AU-IPED’s continued commitment to fostering collaboration, innovation, and African ownership in strengthening education data systems and improving education outcomes across all 55 African Union Member States.

Today, on the Day of the African Child, we are reminded that every child has the right to learn, thrive, and be protected.

At AU-IPED, we believe strong education systems begin with seeing every child.

Through better education data, evidence, and inclusive planning, countries are better positioned to identify gaps, respond to learner needs, and ensure that no child is left behind.

This year’s commemoration calls attention to the importance of water, sanitation, and hygiene for every child in Africa - a reminder that safe, inclusive, and well-planned learning environments are essential to children’s education and wellbeing.

Because when every child is counted, every child has a better chance to learn.

What happens after an education data strategy is validated?

In Burundi, the next step is turning strategy into systems.

From 9-11 June 2026, the African Union, through AU-IPED, is supporting the Government of Burundi to assess and strengthen its Education Management Information System (EMIS) using the African Union EMIS Norms and Standards.

Under the leadership of Mr. Noubatour Adoumtar, AU-IPED continues to support Member States in applying these continental standards to build stronger, more harmonized education data systems.

The workshop brings together national teams and education partners to identify practical priorities for stronger, more reliable education data aligned with CESA 2026–2035 and Agenda 2063.

Read more: https://iped.africa/news-event/from-strategy-to-systems-au-iped-supports-burundis-next-step-in-strengthening-education-data