The call to action was made during the 26th Session of the Pan-African Conference on Teacher Education (PACTED) 2026 in Eswatini. Education and Training Minister Owen Nxumalo and Education International for Africa Director Dr. Dennis Sinyolo emphasized the importance of prioritizing teachers' welfare to build strong and effective education systems. Nxumalo stated that teachers are at the heart of education and their welfare needs to be prioritized.
Minister Nxumalo urged delegates to create an environment where every teacher in Africa is valued, protected, modernized, and empowered to play their role in shaping Africa's future. He emphasized that his entry into the education sector has strengthened his commitment to ensuring that teachers are recognized as key professionals whose welfare requires greater attention. Nxumalo's priority is to improve, support, and protect the welfare of teachers and learners.
Dr. Sinyolo noted that current progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education remains insufficient. He stated that 233 million children are still out of school globally, including 110 million in Africa. Sinyolo emphasized that governments are not investing sufficiently in education, teachers, infrastructure, and teaching and learning resources. He called for the implementation of recommendations on the status of teachers and decent salaries and working conditions for teachers and education workers.
Sinyolo also highlighted the issue of irregular teacher salaries in some African countries, with some teachers reportedly going without pay for up to two years. He urged governments to pay teachers decent salaries so that they can focus on teaching rather than worrying about their next meal. Sinyolo also emphasized the potential of digital tools to transform education if introduced through a human-centered approach.
The Education International for Africa Director stressed that technology should never replace teachers and that the teacher-student relationship is essential and must be protected. He called for teachers to be involved in the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of education policies. Sinyolo emphasized that governments and teachers need to work together to build properly resourced education systems capable of delivering quality education to every child.
Minister Nxumalo urged delegates attending the three-day conference to engage in discussions that would result in meaningful transformation of teacher education across the continent. He expressed his hope that the discussions would be fruitful, transformative, and inspiring. The conference aims to bring about positive change in the education sector.
The Pan-African Conference on Teacher Education is being held in Eswatini, with high-level delegates in attendance. The conference provides a platform for stakeholders to discuss critical issues affecting teacher education and the education sector as a whole. Key stakeholders are working together to address the challenges facing the education sector in Africa.
Key points
- African governments are being urged to prioritize investment in teachers, education infrastructure, and learning resources.
- The current progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education remains insufficient, with 233 million children still out of school globally.
- Teachers in some African countries face irregular salaries, with some going without pay for up to two years.
