BRICS education ministers meet in South Africa

Johannesburg, July 14 (IANS) The 10th meeting of the BRICS Ministers of Education was held for two days in Skukuza, South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, which was attended by the ministers and delegates of education from all five BRICS countries, with Namibia present as an invited special guest country.

BRICS countries should prioritise eight thematic areas which include skills for the changing world, including digital education cooperation and mutual recognition of qualifications, said a statement released on Thursday on the outcomes of the meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.

BRICS members are committed to delivering responsive and relevant programmes for out-of-school youth and ensuring employability and absorption into labour markets, according to the statement.

The BRICS countries also pledged to improve the quality and enhance international cooperation on higher education and training through mutual recognition qualifications in line with the Global Education 2030 Agenda, the statement added.

BRICS is an acronym for five emerging economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. South Africa assumed the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2023, taking over from China.