Reforming education in the Middle East and North Africa is essential in raising economic, political and social standards, reports Eman Youssef At the end of a three-day conference, education ministers from the Group of Eight (G8) and Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) agreed that effective educational reforms require a concerted effort from all corners of society. Meeting in the resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh on 22 May for their second annual conference, education ministers from 34 countries also said stronger ties and coordination between developed and developing countries would enhance education reform. The conference, held under the theme "Education for the Knowledge Society", included participants from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Algeria, Afghanistan, India, Mauritania, Palestine, Spain, and the Arab Gulf. G8 countries comprise Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. The event, organised jointly by the Ministry of Education and Mercury Communications, focussed on the use of International and Communication Technology (ICT) to improve the educational process through quality and relevance, technical and vocational education and training, and literacy. Education Minister Youssri El-Gamal emphasised that the participation of international and regional organisations, and the private sector as well as civil society would help in drafting credible reform plans and enhance public-private partnerships in the region. Participants sought to extend the sharing of information on best practices at a regional and wider level. These include the effective use of ICT and e-networks, especially the Global Learning Portal, according to Raafat Radwan, a senior official at the Ministry of Education. "Education is the basis for social development and economic growth," said US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. "Every country has a duty to provide its children with the tools they need to succeed in the global-knowledge economy." Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, Spellings said, "education is the foundation of all our children's success. It advances opportunity, understanding, and freedom; it strengthens economies, curbs the spread of diseases, and improves the quality of life for entire populations." She noted that it also "gives us hope for a brighter future [and] teaches us to see beyond ignorance and bigotry, and to respect and appreciate cultures that are not our own." According to Spellings, the BMENA initiative is a wide-ranging partnership between G8 and BMENA states, as it seeks to coordinate between government, businesses and civil society in support of economic, social and political reform efforts. Addressing illiteracy, Spellings told the Weekly that in the US more than 11 million adults cannot read English. As a result, "all of us share the challenge of overcoming illiteracy." In BMENA states, illiteracy figures are estimated at 120 million adults. Spellings also highlighted the link between education and a healthy economy, calling on the business community to engage in planning national education systems to ensure that schools meet the demands of the workplace. "The more students we train to be entrepreneurs and creative problem-solvers, the more jobs they'll create and the greater ability they'll have to improve the quality of life for others," she added. At the end of their conference, ministers agreed to create a task force that would carry forward recommendations and meet in 2007 to review progress.
