PEERS - Africa-Europe Partnership to Exchange on Education Reforms

The Africa-Europe Partnership to Exchange on Education Reforms (PEERS) was born out of a deep conviction that building and sharing knowledge among peers, coordinating education policies at the regional level, and strengthening cooperation between Member States are key to developing high-quality education policies that meet the challenges facing the youth of tomorrow. The same understanding was used at the start of the European Education Area, which has resulted in enhanced coordination and better alignment of education policies across European Union Member States.

At the heart of these dynamics, regional economic communities drive and facilitate the development of knowledge, data, and alliances between countries to build and strengthen the design, implementation and monitoring of quality, gender-responsive, inclusive, green and digital education policies. At stake is quality education, improved academic achievement and skills, and the development of opportunities for African youth to break the cycle of poverty and build more peaceful societies. 

PEERS is an initiative implemented for and within two of the Regional economic communities in sub-Saharan Africa: the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East African Community (EAC). 

Good practices exist within States, but they are not systematically documented or shared. Regional economic communities are aware of the challenges and issues facing African education policies, but their capacity for action is often limited. PEERS will contribute to strengthen them facing these difficulties to implement high-quality education policies.

Regional coordination for the development, implementation, and monitoring of education policies

Strengthened coordination of education policies between States will enhance regional integration and resource sharing. Expertise France will support the development of working groups and forums for dialogue within regional economic communities on three priority themes, with a view to promoting collective learning and the coordinated development of high-quality education policies.

Peer learning and identification of best practices

Gender, Green, and Digital: best practices exist in many ECOWAS and ECA Member States; as well as in the EU. Expertise France will offer opportunities for study trips, exchanges of best practices, and collaboration between the Regional economic communities on the one hand, and between the Regional economic communities and Europe on the other. 

Use of scientific data in policy development and harmonisation

Data circulation and validation needs to be strengthened to ensure a solid evidence-base which can inform education policies. Through the activities of the PEERS project, we will support the analysis of existing data, its dissemination, or its generation when it is lacking, in order to promote the development of education policies based on scientific evidence. Regional economic communities will be gaining international influence thanks to their data-based recommendations.