African education experts are set to converge in Dar es Salaam next week to discuss how the continent's education systems can adapt curricula to rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), technology, and changing labour market demands. The discussions will take place during the Sixth Conference of the African Curriculum Association (ACA 2026), scheduled for September 22-25. The conference comes as advances in AI and digital technologies reshape jobs, skills, and the way knowledge is produced and applied.
The event will bring together curriculum developers, researchers, policymakers, teachers, trainers, university lecturers, and postgraduate students from Tanzania, other African countries, and beyond. The conference will examine teacher development, inclusive education, assessment systems, and the use of technology in teaching and learning. According to Tanzania Institute of Education (TET) Director General Dr Aneth Komba, discussions will focus on education reforms, curriculum development, teacher preparation, and inclusive innovation amid rapid technological change.
Dr Komba emphasized that education systems should go beyond imparting classroom knowledge by equipping learners with competencies, practical skills, values, and the ability to apply knowledge to solve problems in their communities. The growing influence of AI and technology makes it necessary for African countries to rethink how curricula are designed to equip graduates with skills relevant to the 21st century. The conference will provide a platform for experts to share experiences and examine common challenges.
African Curriculum Association Secretary General Dr Gertrude Namubiru stressed that curriculum reforms should not focus solely on technology but also ensure education reflects Africa's realities, history, culture, and challenges. African countries need education systems that enable learners to understand their communities and contribute to transforming them, rather than relying heavily on approaches developed outside the continent.
Dr Namubiru said bringing curriculum experts from different African countries together would provide an opportunity to share experiences, examine common challenges, and learn from reforms being implemented across the continent. However, she stressed that the impact of the discussions should extend beyond the conference, with recommendations translated into tangible changes in national education systems.
The conference is expected to produce the Dar es Salaam Declaration on Education Transformation in Africa and endorse a draft African framework for curriculum development and improvement. The framework is expected to align with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4), which promotes inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities.
Dr Komba said hosting the conference would give Tanzania an opportunity to share its experience in education reforms, including implementation of the Education and Training Policy of 2014, revised in 2023, and recent curriculum and education system reforms. The conference will also provide a platform for Tanzania to showcase its efforts in education transformation and learn from other African countries.
Key points
- The conference aims to produce the Dar es Salaam Declaration on Education Transformation in Africa.
- The event will bring together curriculum developers, researchers, policymakers, teachers, trainers, university lecturers, and postgraduate students from Tanzania, other African countries, and beyond.
- The conference will examine teacher development, inclusive education, assessment systems, and the use of technology in teaching and learning.
