Director Ansu, who is a participant in the ongoing Asia Education Study Visit for African Policy Makers programme, said “Our study visit started a week ago in Singapore where we learned about strategies and implementation of education policies in that country over many decades.”

“So far, we heard about experiences in the field of education in Singapore, China, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Thailand. Our purpose in Vietnam is to continue our learning from yet another perspective,” he said, adding that “we wish to understand how the experiences of East Asian countries can help us in seeking solutions for the challenges of economic and social development in Africa.”

He confirmed that “East Asia’s experience, including Vietnam’s, is relevant for Africa because over several decades, many countries in the region have made tremendous gains in education, including the high quality of universal primary education, which started from levels of coverage in the 1960s and 1970s that were comparable to or worse than those in Africa at that time.”

“The statistics already give a preview of what to expect, but reading the numbers on paper is no substitute for being here in Vietnam,” he stated, expressing his belief that Vietnam’s experience will offer an equally relevant and inspiring source of learning.

According to the WB official, the international financial institution has education programmes implemented in 21 African countries, with a total net commitment of US$1.2 billion, about half of which has been disbursed.

The study tour of Vietnam began on June 26 and will last through June 30.

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa Mamadou Ndoye, said that Vietnam's experience in educational development is of particular interest to African countries.

Mr. Ndoye is a member of a delegation led by four Education Ministers and high-level officials from six African countries, including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar and Mozambique, on a visit to Vietnam from June 26-30 to learn about Vietnam's educational reform process in recent years. The visit is also aimed at promoting dialogues and increasing exchanges in educational activities between Vietnam and African countries.

Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on June 27, Mr Ndoye said that thanks to spectacular educational development over the last decade, Vietnam is rapidly moving towards secondary education universalisation. Vietnam's economic and educational development offers important lessons as African countries implement major educational development programmes.