New AEAA President Pledges Unity, Transparency, and Accountability
ARUSHA — Prof Said Mohamed, Executive Secretary of the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA), has been elected President of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA) for the 2026/2027 term. The election took place on August 20, 2026, in Arusha, Tanzania, during the association's 42nd Annual Conference, as reported by AllAfrica and dailynews.co.tz.
Prof Mohamed took over from outgoing President Dr Eshetu Gichoro of Ethiopia, pledging to strengthen unity, transparency, and accountability within the organization. He said the challenges facing education systems across Africa require collective solutions and that AEAA would provide an inclusive platform where members can contribute ideas, advice, and recommendations aimed at advancing the association.
"Our decision-making process will be guided by a 'we' rather than an 'I' approach. We will receive ideas, welcome feedback and value the views of the team," Prof Mohamed said, as quoted by both AllAfrica and dailynews.co.tz.
Focus on STEM and Industry Links
Prof Mohamed highlighted that AEAA is operating at a time when the education sector is undergoing significant changes, including the growing importance of technical and vocational education and training, as well as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). He said the association would promote stronger links between educational institutions and the industrial sector to ensure that education systems respond effectively to labour market demands and broader development needs.
Strengthening cooperation among African countries, he added, would be critical in addressing common challenges in educational assessment and improving the quality of education across the continent.
Outgoing President's Call for Cooperation
Outgoing President Dr Gichoro called for greater cooperation among African countries in strengthening the education sector, stressing the importance of working together as one continent. He also commended Tanzania for successfully hosting the AEAA meeting.
AI and the Future of Assessment
In a separate report by dailynews.co.tz, Prof Mohamed discussed the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on education assessment, saying Africa must safeguard students' ability to think independently while harnessing AI to improve assessment systems. "We want students to retain their ability to think. Whether they use AI or not, they must still think properly," he said.
Prof Mohamed stressed that technology should strengthen, not weaken, learners' cognitive abilities. He noted that applying AI in educational assessment is complex, requiring varied tools, approaches, and infrastructure, and called on African countries to pool expertise instead of working in isolation. "No single country can address all challenges alone. Sharing knowledge will benefit the entire AEAA community," he said.
He emphasized that AI should complement, not replace, the human role in assessment, noting that professional judgement remains vital in understanding learners' contexts. "We are not entering the AI era to eliminate people. Technology should improve assessment, not replace human beings," he said. He also stressed the need for inclusive adoption of AI, warning that disparities in infrastructure, connectivity, and access to devices could widen inequality among learners. "It would be unfair for some students to benefit from AI while others are left behind," he added.
Conference Resolutions and Cybersecurity
The conference also featured remarks from Dr Hussein Omar, Deputy Permanent Secretary, who closed the conference on behalf of the Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology. Dr Omar urged African assessment bodies to embrace AI while strengthening cybersecurity, data protection, and examination confidentiality, according to dailynews.co.tz. "As we embrace AI, we must also strengthen cybersecurity, data protection, professional ethics and institutional accountability," he said.
Dr Omar cited key challenges facing African countries, including examination security, AI integration, competency-based curricula, and assessment of learners with special needs. He warned that efficiency gains from AI would be meaningless if confidential examination materials were compromised, adding that technology should assist the examiner, not replace them.
Dr Gichoro called for harmonised assessment standards across Africa, warning that fragmented systems could undermine the continent's Agenda 2063 ambitions. "Educational assessment is the cornerstone of quality learning systems," he said.
AEAA Executive Secretary Dr David Njengere presented 11 resolutions adopted at the conference, including expanded use of digital feedback and evaluation systems to improve teaching, learning, and institutional performance. The resolutions also called for stronger collaboration between education institutions and industry to enhance curriculum relevance, practical assessment, technological literacy, and workforce readiness.