EduWeek with SABC Education powered by Intel: Advancing Educational Knowledge in Africa

The theme for EduWeek with SABC Education powered by Intel for 2016 is Sustainable Development in Education. This theme has been chosen to reflect EduWeek’s support of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and UNESCO’s Global Action Plan (GAP), which focuses heavily on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Education for Sustainable Development is focused on allowing every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future. Education for Sustainable Development means including key sustainable development issues into teaching and learning; for example, climate change, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, poverty reduction, and sustainable consumption. It also requires participatory teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behavior and take action for sustainable development. Education for Sustainable Development consequently promotes competencies like critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions in a collaborative way. This requires far-reaching changes in the way education is often practiced today. EduWeek, along with its partners and contributors intends to play a key role in promoting this change.

This year EduWeek will have a key focus advancing educational knowledge in Africa by bringing you even more opportunities to learn from global and African best practices in this year’s conference. Visitors are given the opportunity to learn about the latest developments, case studies and trends from renowned industry leaders as well as local education professionals with a holistic view on how to improve African education. EduWeek brings you five dedicated two-day programme's across Educational Technology (E-Tech), Vocational & Higher Education, Basic Education, Inclusive Education and NEW for 2016 Early Childhood Development.

The Key topics for these free workshops include:

• What does big data mean from the African perspective and how to use our population to leverage the advancements for sustainable educational growth in collaboration with bridging the skills gap?
  
• How do we get quality Higher education in Africa? Accessing quality higher education in Africa raises several issues of skills development and generating African sustainable solutions. Discuss what still needs to be achieved to reach quality Higher Education.
  
• Educational leadership: reports on research conducted on approaches to educational leadership in rural disadvantaged communities. Learn ways in which these approaches can be applied to all educational contexts with a particular focus on instructional leadership and curriculum development.
  
• Are we in line with the Sustainability Development Goals? Technology has no magic in and of itself. Thinking that simply supplying technology such as tablets to learners will solve problems is as naïve as believing that a better ballpoint pen will improve the education outcomes. There must be a detailed plan and design of the technology-enabled programme, and only then should the technology be decided on – with a focus on how this will improve the current situation.

EduWeek has grown from a small local conference into Africa’s largest education event and it has established a powerful reputation in the education industry. Grant Bulmuo, Director/Lead Consultant of Neogenics Education. UK & Ghana comments, “The beauty of education is seen in the collaboration of the various educators, creative minds, agencies and schools all at one location with one thing in mind - Creating a future-proof educational pathway for the young African! Thank you to EduWeek for making this a yearly possibility.”

For educators and role-players, attending EduWeek with SABC Education powered by Intel, offers the opportunity to:

• Improve their educational knowledge by choosing from over 200 hours of leading–edge and free practical training delivered by experts from across Africa
  
• Be equipped for success by discovering Africa’s widest choice of quality end-to-end solutions
  
• Meet the implementers who will inspire them through hands-on learning
  
• Be at the forefront of Africa’s transformation by networking with leaders, strategic thinkers and entrepreneurs

The event plays host to 150 education product and solution providers that exhibit over the two-day event, including leading global brands such as Intel, Microsoft and Pearson. Exhibitors who will return once again to showcase their latest range of products & solutions include ITEC, Samsung, Vastratech, Edit Microsystems, Cambridge International Examinations, SmartLabs and Vivlia Publishing. EduWeek also welcomes a number of exciting new brands such as Dell, Positivo GmBH, Lenovo, HP and Tarsus Technologies. Many of these brands will not be present at any other education event in South Africa this year and so only those who visit EduWeek in June will benefit from this personalised interaction with these top innovators.

Entrance to the event is completely free and over 4,000 educational professionals attend the two-day indaba. The event has become recognised as the difinitive educational event in Africa and therefore also draws upwards of 450 VIP delegates, made up of provincial and national Government, Vice-Chancellors and international decision makers. With over 40 countries represented in terms of attendees and exhibitors, EduWeek is a truly international event, with international standing. Carleen King, Project Consultant for EDI Guinea Project, United Nations, commented, “Being a part of EduWeek will help us network and build education opportunities in West Africa and the pan African community. It will also allow me to report on initiatives to the UN here at home and engage efforts to provide sustainable support for economic growth facilitated by education.”

EduWeek is the largest and most recognised African education event with purchasing opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa, where public and private stakeholders can gather to discuss future solutions and critical issues surrounding the education sector in Africa as well as evaluate, see and buy new solutions for their education institution’s needs.

Being a free to attend event means that EduWeek can only be made possible by the incredible sponsors and partners that come together in support of this annual educational indaba, these partners include: Headline Partner, Intel; Diamond Sponsor Microsoft; Platinum Sponsor, Pearson and Gold Sponsor, Dell.
EduWeek with SABC Education powered by Intel takes place on the 29th and 30th June from 10am – 6pm at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand. For more information or to register to attend the event, visit: www.educationweek.co.za.