Luanda - Teacher training should include competences and skills to enable them to work with pupils, with a view to an education for a culture of peace and citizenship, the Minister of Education, Luísa Grilo, said Tuesday.
The Angolan minister made the statement at the opening of the second Regional Meeting of the African National Commissions for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) running in Luanda until Friday.
According to the chairperson of the Angolan National Commission for UNESCO, an action is needed involving sectors responsible for education, culture, higher education, science and technology, family, youth, sports and the media, with the African National Commissions for UNESCO playing a fundamental role as the technical coordinator of this management mechanism.
The minister added that the African national commissions for UNESCO is a point of convergence with the various ministerial departments, services and institutions working to achieve this unavoidable goal, guaranteeing peace through intellectual cooperation between nations.
UNESCO's assistant director-general for Natural Sciences, Lídia Brito, on her turn said that there has been great progress in the area of education in Africa, although there is still a lot to be done.
"Unfortunately, 40 percent of the world's out-of-school children are on our continent," the UNESCO official said.
Running under the motto “Challenges and opportunities of regional cooperation for sustainable development and the promotion of peace in Africa", the meeting aims to develop cooperation strategies at regional level for a peaceful and sustainable continent.
It will also identify good practices and experiences to draw up a joint operational plan based on concrete actions within the framework of the commitments made at regional and global level, bringing together experts from UNESCO's national commissions, regional offices, NGOs, social partners and specialists with innovative approaches.
The three-day event is being attended by UNESCO regional representatives from across the continent.
IN/PA/DAN/AMP
