The African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, has called for a rethinking of education systems across Africa, warning that current approaches risk producing graduates unprepared for the demands of a rapidly changing global economy.Delivering a keynote address at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Public Lecture Series 2026 on Friday, April 10, Dr Chambas said Africa’s education agenda must move beyond expansion and access towards transformation, relevance, and innovation.He situated his remarks within Africa’s broader development framework, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which seeks to achieve socioeconomic transformation across the continent.Dr Chambas, who also serves as the AU’s High Representative for Silencing the Guns, said education is a strategic pillar in Africa’s ambition to end conflict and build lasting peace by 2030.He referenced Aspiration Four of Agenda 2063, which envisions “a peaceful, secure and prosperous Africa underpinned by dialogue, mediation, preventive diplomacy and coordinated peace and security mechanisms.”“Embedded in this grand vision is a strategy of silencing the guns by 2030,” he said, adding that education plays a decisive role in addressing the root causes of conflict.“By fostering critical thinking, civic values and economic opportunity, quality education reduces youth susceptibility to recruitment by armed groups, counters ethnic divisions through inclusive curricula, and promotes dialogue over violence,” he stated.Dr Chambas stressed that transformative education—particularly for girls and marginalised communities—creates “resilient and equitable societies where grievances are resolved through institutions rather than weapons.”“Far from a peripheral social service, education is a strategic long-term tool to silencing the guns, sustaining peace, and building a prosperous Africa, the Africa we want,” he added.Looking ahead to 2030, the target year for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Dr Chambas described education as the “thread that weaves all others together”.“Education stands as one of the most powerful catalysts for sustainable development and remains the foundation upon which all others rest,” he said. “It shapes livelihoods, drives innovation, and ultimately determines the destiny of nations.”Turning to Ghana, DDrChambas traced the country’s education evolution from independence in 1957 through successive reforms, including the Dzobo Reforms of 1974, the 1987–90 education reforms, and the Anamuah-Mensah Reforms of 2007.He commended the vision behind these reforms but criticised their uneven implementation.“All these successive reforms through different governments have sought to align education with national development, yet the recurring challenge has not been the absence of vision but the inconsistency of implementation,” he said.Despite this, he acknowledged significant progress: primary enrolment now exceeds 90 per cent, junior high school participation stands at about 98 per cent, senior high school enrolment has risen sharply under Free Senior High School, and adult literacy is estimated at around 80 per cent.“These gains reflect deliberate policy interventions,” he noted, citing initiatives such as GETFund, student loan schemes, capitation grants, school feeding programmes and Free SHS.However, Dr Chambas warned that expansion alone is not enough.“As we stand on the precipice of the 2030 milestone, we must ask ourselves a profoundly uncomfortable question: are we expanding education or transforming it?” he asked.He criticised an education system that, in his view, still prioritises rote learning over critical thinking and certification over competence.“We have graduates with degrees but without employable skills,” he said, adding that unemployment and underemployment remain serious concerns.He warned that global challenges—including climate change, geopolitical instability and artificial intelligence—demand urgent reform.“We risk preparing our children for a past that no longer exists rather than for a future that is rapidly unfolding,” he said. “The world that is coming will not be kind to poorly educated individuals, especially those out of step with AI.”Dr Drhambas highlighted persistent challenges in foundational learning, describing it as the “root system” of education.Citing assessments by the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service, he said many children at the primary level struggle with basic literacy and numeracy, with “learning poverty” remaining a serious concern.He referenced interventions under the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), which has supported over 10,000 basic schools through structured pedagogy, teacher training, and improved learning materials.“These efforts are yielding results, particularly in underserved communities,” he said, pointing to improvements in classroom instruction and learner outcomes.On technical education, Dr Chambas praised Ghana’s growing investment in STEM, including the establishment of STEM senior high schools and the introduction of tuition-free STEM programmes in public universities.He disclosed that the policy is supported by an estimated GH¢1.2 billion annual investment beginning in 2025/2026, describing it as a significant step towards innovation-led growth.However, he cautioned against an overly technical approach to education.“A robot can calculate, but it cannot dream. An algorithm can predict, but it cannot judge,” he said.He therefore called for the adoption of STEAM education, integrating the arts and humanities into science and technology to ensure ethical and creative problem-solving.“STEM without creativity is just mechanics,” he said.Dr Chambas emphasised that no education system can transform in isolation, stressing the importance of partnerships between government, educators, civil society and international development partners.“Education, like a traditional drum, produces rhythm only when struck by many hands,” he said.He cited the roles of the World Bank, African Development Bank, United Nations agencies and bilateral partners in supporting Ghana’s education sector.Despite progress, he said major challenges persist, particularly youth unemployment, skills mismatch, and the growing number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).“We have built schools, but we must now build minds,” he warned. “We have expanded access, but we must now deepen learning.”Dr Chambas called for a fundamental rethink of Ghana’s education system, anchored on three principles: relevance, resilience and responsibility.He urged curriculum reform that connects learning to local contexts such as agriculture, environment, industry and community needs, while strengthening technical and vocational education.He criticised mismatches between classroom content and real-world needs, noting that some students learn about distant environments while lacking knowledge of local environmental challenges such as coastal erosion or water quality.He also noted that fewer than 18 per cent of university students in Ghana study STEM subjects, well below the national target of 60 per cent and comparable international benchmarks such as Malaysia and Singapore.Dr Chambas called for a national mindset shift to elevate Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), urging greater respect for artisans, technicians and skilled workers.“The Ghanaian education system should not be a sorting machine that sends some children to university and consigns others to second-class status,” he said.He described TVET professionals—including electricians, plumbers, solar engineers and agro-processors—as “the backbone of an industrialised, self-reliant Ghana”.On resilience, he stressed the need for education systems to prepare learners for uncertainty, including climate change, digital disruption and economic volatility.He warned that climate change is already affecting Ghana through rising sea levels, flooding and erratic rainfall patterns.“We are failing our children if we teach them about the environment only in geography textbooks,” he said, calling for climate education to be embedded across all levels of learning.He also urged that students be taught principles of the circular economy, biodiversity and renewable energy to prepare them for a sustainable future.Dr Drhambas warned that Africa risks stagnation if education systems do not evolve rapidly.“We must move from a model of information transmission to one of mindset empowerment,” he said.He urged policymakers to ensure that education produces graduates who are not only skilled but also ethical, innovative and socially responsible.“Education is not merely about schooling, it is about building the future of nations,” he concluded.