…AU-IPED calls for stronger collaboration and evidence-based decisions to improve equity, access and learning outcomes
BY NELIWE NGUBANE
EZULWINI— Education statistics may fill reports and databases, but their real power lies in what they change in classrooms, how they shape government budgets and whether they help every child access quality education.
This was the message from Dr Adoumatar Noubatour, representing the African Union Commission’s Pan-African Institute for Education for Development (AU-IPED), during the opening of the Eswatini Education Management Information System (EMIS) Data Use Workshop at Sibane Sami Hotel on Thursday.
Noubatour called for education data to be transformed into practical insights that inform policy, planning and resource allocation, emphasising that reliable information is essential to improving equity, access, quality and learning outcomes for children and young people.
The workshop, convened by the Ministry of Education and Training in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the GPE-KIX Africa 19 Hub and Life Skills Promoters (LISP), brings together education stakeholders to strengthen the use of data in planning, budgeting and monitoring.
Addressing participants, Noubatour described education as a cornerstone of sustainable development and social transformation across Africa. He stressed that effective Education Management Information Systems should do more than collect statistics; they should help decision-makers understand challenges and identify practical solutions.
“The value of our Education Management Information Systems lies not just in collecting data, but in translating that data into actionable insights that help us make better decisions,” he said.
His remarks highlighted a key challenge facing education systems: the gap between collecting information and applying it to decisions that affect learners.
Reliable and timely education data can help policymakers identify gaps in access, monitor educational progress and determine where resources are most urgently needed. When properly analysed and applied, such information can also support fairer resource distribution and strengthen accountability across the education sector.
Noubatour said the workshop represented a shared commitment to strengthening evidence-based decision-making through capacity-building and collaboration across government departments.
He encouraged participants, including managers, policymakers and technical specialists, to engage openly, challenge existing assumptions and explore innovative ways of overcoming barriers to data use.
The involvement of different stakeholders is particularly important because education planning often requires coordination between institutions responsible for policy development, budgeting, statistics and implementation.
By bringing these groups together, the workshop seeks to encourage practical approaches to answering critical policy questions using available national education data.
Noubatour commended the Ministry of Education and Training and its partners for their leadership in advancing the data-use agenda, noting the importance of sustained cooperation in strengthening national education information systems.
The discussions also speak to the broader ambition of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4, which calls for inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
For Eswatini, strengthening the use of EMIS data can support more informed decisions about educational needs, resource allocation and the progress of learners across different communities.
Noubatour said the collective goal should be to ensure that the country’s EMIS becomes a powerful tool for promoting inclusive and equitable education for all children and young people.
He urged participants to use the workshop as an opportunity to build their knowledge, exchange experiences and identify practical ways of ensuring that evidence informs decisions throughout the education sector.
He concluded by wishing participants productive discussions and a successful workshop, reinforcing the need to turn reliable information into meaningful action for learners.
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