Sikhumbuzo Moyo
ZIMBABWE has joined international efforts to advance equitable access to quality education, with Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo participating in a high-level policy dialogue in Brussels, Belgium, aimed at accelerating progress towards global education targets by 2030.
The engagement brings together education ministers, European union (EU) representatives, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), development partners and international organisations to assess progress in addressing educational inequalities and identify policy interventions needed to improve learning outcomes.
The discussions are anchored on the 2026 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, titled Access and Equity: Countdown to 2030, which examines progress towards ensuring that all learners have access to inclusive, equitable and quality education.
Minister Moyo said the Brussels engagement provided a platform for education ministers and international development partners to exchange ideas and deliberate on strategies for strengthening education systems.
“I am in Brussels attending an international policy dialogue on education where ministers of education and partners like UNESCO and Global Education Monitoring are having an engagement,” he said.
The dialogue comes as countries shift their focus from simply increasing school enrolment towards ensuring that learners acquire relevant skills, achieve better learning outcomes and enjoy equal opportunities to progress through education and training.
Key areas of discussion include the role of teachers, skills development and transitions into further learning and decent work, issues that resonate with Zimbabwe’s efforts to align its education system with national development priorities under Education 5.0 and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
The dialogue will also examine how evidence-based findings from the GEM reports can inform education policies, investment priorities and international cooperation beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline.
One of the sessions will explore access and equity across the wider education continuum, including learner progression, skills development and pathways into further education and employment.
Participants will also consider opportunities to strengthen cooperation with partner countries through the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and wider Team Europe initiatives.
Another session will focus on equity, quality and learning in Europe, drawing lessons from the past 25 years to inform the future direction of education systems.
Using findings from the 2026 GEM Report and experiences from European countries, participants will examine persistent barriers to educational participation and inclusion, teacher support and strategies for improving learning outcomes.
The dialogue will further consider the forthcoming 2027 and 2028 GEM Reports and how their findings can help shape education policies and investment priorities in the years beyond 2030.
The engagement comes at a time when countries are under increasing pressure to build education systems that go beyond expanding access to schooling and equip learners with relevant competencies, practical skills and opportunities for meaningful participation in the economy.
