COMED tool kit pre-validation workshop underway in Accra

Accra, Sept. 28, GNA – A three-day workshop designed to pre-validate the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), Working Group on Communication for Education and Development (WG COMED) tool-kit is underway in Accra.

The Pre-Validation exercise is helping selected African journalists, communication experts and education specialists to acquaint themselves with the toolkit and its applications.

Lessons drawn from this initiative will enable WG COMED to verify any salient socio-political issues as they relate to specific regions and countries across the African continent.

The workshop which runs from September 26th to 28th is being collaborated by ADEA, WG COMED, the Ghana Journalists Association and the Institute of Continuing and Distance Education of the University of Ghana, Legon.

It was opened on Monday by Mr John Akologu Tia, Minister of Information.

The Workshop has attracted about 50 participants from Africa, comprising Anglophone, Francophone and North African countries.

The participants include journalists, communication experts, journalism educators, communication officers in ministries of education, other media practitioners and members of civil society organisations.

Mr Lawalley Cole, the WG COMED Co-ordinator noted that COMED has over the last three years developed partnerships with a number of training institutions in Africa, as well as individual experts from media institutions, aimed at enhancing national capacity to produce high quality reporting of educational news in Africa.

The participants have examined selected modules in the tool kit and made comments with the view to improving the document.

The modules and sections discussed include Emerging Issues, Popular Culture and Education and the use of National Languages in Education.

Modules on using reporting Genres effectively and understanding and appreciating Ethics in Journalism were also examined.

The facilitators led participants in an interactive session, which focussed on the compilation and examination of background materials contained in the various Modules of the tool kit.

It included articles and case studies on education, communication and development, government, non-government and UN documents, fact sheets, reports, visual presentations and documentaries.

The discussion on Emerging issues in Education was led by Professor Kate Addo-Adeku of the ICDE, which centred on issues relating to educational trends.

In her presentation on Popular Culture in Education, Prof Addo-Adeku noted that the various social communication tools and forms such as the internet, music, drama and dance need to be used effectively to highlight and promote issues concerning education.

The issue of using National Languages in education was extensively discussed and the popular opinion was that African countries should spare no effort at promoting the use of the medium in teaching in educational institutions throughout the continent.

During the discussion of the Module on Education and Gender, facilitated by Ms Amie Joof, the Executive Director of FAMEDEV (Inter-African Network for Women, Media, Gender equality and Development, the need to include case study material from outside the African continent in the tool kit was highlighted and agreed on by participants.

The participants also noted that there is the need to address the challenges of Religion and ultimately find ways of integrating Islam into the circular system.

In the absence of this, the participants said the issue can engender a lot of mistrust and suspicion between Christians and Moslems across the continent.

Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, Chairman of National Media Commission, led the discussion on Reporting Educational Issues and ethics in journalism.

In the course of the discussions a lot of issues were raised regarding the role of stakeholders- media owners, professional associations, regulatory bodies, media training institutions, individual responsibility, the role of civil society and that of the State.

Issues of economic resources, blind ambition, the operation of quack journalists, matters of economic pressures and its impact on the work of journalists were also discussed.

The general conclusion was that this Module needs to be re-written taking into account the link between ethics, social responsibility and media responsibility.

The need to incorporate the role of stake-holders, regulatory bodies and professional associations to ensure that media code of ethics is adhered to was emphasised across board.

Participants were of the view that the issue of ethics is deeply rooted in the fabric of society and therefore requires careful analysis before attempting any solutions.

The popular opinion was that journalists need to adhere strictly to the ethics of the profession.

ADEA is a forum for policy dialogue and a catalyst for educational reform. It represents a genuine partnership between African education and training ministries and their technical and external partners.

Through its activities ADEA has developed a network of policy-makers, educators and researchers.

WG COMED’s vision is to promote joint action for building confidence, trust, and ownership among ministries of education and finance, the media, and all education stakeholders across the African continent.