The inaugural Emilia Monjowa Lifaka Lecture was delivered by Betty Abeng, CEO of the Commonwealth Education Trust (CET), on 2 October 2023. With the theme of education in crisis, it was given at the International Conference Centre in the wings of the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Accra, Ghana. The Lecture was attended by international parliamentarians, delegates and panellists who were attending the 66th CPC, along with representatives from the diplomatic community in Accra.
At 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Accra Betty Abeng (third from left) gives the inaugural Emilia Monjowa Lifaka Lecture on the global education crisis.
‘Education in crisis: the global learning poverty problem’
The theme of her lecture was the global crisis in education:
“Significant progress has been made in education globally and within the Commonwealth, in particular on school attendance. However, too many children are attending school and not learning, with 70% of 10 year olds globally unable to read and write a simple sentence by age 10”.
Foundational learning is vital and reading is the gateway for learning.
Betty highlighted that the key to tackling the global learning poverty crisis is to invest more in teachers to improve learning outcomes across the Commonwealth. This is the focus of the work of the Commonwealth Education Trust.
During her Lecture, she spoke about the importance of education for all Commonwealth citizens and the key objective of achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 4. This Goal aims to ensure “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
But she reinforced that the current insufficient support for education globally goes beyond endangering the achievement of SDG4. It also threatens the achievement of multiple other Sustainable Development Goals. Reaching them is reliant on today’s children having the conditions they need to learn and thrive.
She also explored service and civic duty and used the opportunity to highlight the key role of Commonwealth Parliamentarians in global education.
A response came from Dr Leslie Casey-Hayford, Director of Associates for Change, West Africa and a Ghana-based international education development expert.
An extract from the lecture can be found on CPA’s website here.
Establishment of the Emilia Monjowa Lifaka Lecture
The Lecture was established in memory of Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, the late Chairperson of the CPA International Executive Committee and Deputy Speaker of Cameroon. Hon. Monjowa Lifaka was a passionate champion of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and served as CPA Chairperson from November 2017 to her untimely passing in April 2021. The Lecture is intended to provide a fitting tribute to her work.
The inaugural Lifaka Lecture was co-sponsored by the International Parliamentary Network for Education (IPNEd). This seeks to mobilise political leadership to accelerate quality education for all.
The Commonwealth Education Trust is a member of the Commonwealth Consortium for Education.
Betty Abeng is CEO of the Commonwealth Education Trust. She has over 15 years of experience working within the Not-for-profit sector. From Cameroon, she became CEO of the CET in 2021.