DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — African countries should develop and own independent education assessment systems powered by technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to prepare students for regional and global competition, an education expert has said.
Eshetu Gichoro, president of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA), warned that failure to develop homegrown systems could leave Africa dependent on external platforms that may not reflect the continent’s realities and aspirations.
Gichoro made the remarks on Monday in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha during the 42nd AEAA annual conference, attended by 357 experts from 28 African and non-African countries.
The five-day conference focuses on the use of AI in education, particularly in assessment and examinations.
He said AI could enable student-centered assessment, predictive analysis and personalized learning, while expanding access to quality assessment in rural and marginalized communities.
However, Gichoro identified inadequate digital infrastructure, poor data quality and weak links between assessment data, education policies and planning as major challenges facing Africa.
Carolyne Nombo, permanent secretary of Tanzania’s Education, Science and Technology Ministry, said AI should improve the quality and efficiency of education assessment while upholding ethics, transparency, data protection, equity and inclusion.
