Minister Angelina Motshekga elected as SACMEQ Chairperson

Angelina Matsie Motshekga

Minister Motshekga has been elected chairperson of the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ) in Paris at the organisation’s bi-annual meeting held on the 3rd November 2013.

 

SACMEQ is made up of 16 education Ministries from Southern and Eastern African countries. Its key objective is to undertake integrated research and training activities that will expand opportunities for educational planners and researchers to receive training in the technical skills required to monitor, evaluate, and compare the general conditions of schooling and the quality of basic education.

 

“The election is a huge vote of confidence in the work we are doing as a government and the department. I will certainly use this opportunity to collaborate with other Ministers and to share best practice with them,” said Minister Motshekga.

 

SACMEQ also generates information that can be used by decision-makers to plan the quality of education.SACMEQ research results are widely discussed and debated by all stakeholders and senior decision-makers.

 

SAQMEQ has currently undertaken its fourth assessment in which South Africa is participating. These results are expected around August 2014.

 

The most important development at this meeting was a collaboration agreement between SACMEQ and PASEC.

 

Created in the 1990s, the CONFEMEN Programme on the Analysis of Education Systems (PASEC) and the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) represent the two most important large-scale African initiatives in monitoring and evaluating the quality of basic education.

 

As well as deciding to relocate SACMEQ back to Africa from its current location in Paris, the Assembly of SACMEQ Ministers agreed on a process allowing member states to bid for the hosting of this prestigious initiative. South Africa will work with its local institutions to prepare a bid for the country to host SACMEQ in South Africa. South Africa has both the institutional capacity and political will to see the relocation of this office to our country. With Minister Angie Motshekga as the elected chairperson this would be a major asset to our education system and institutions.

 

 

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF BASIC EDUCATION

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