Apply: Call for entries for the 2024 SADC Secondary School Essay Competition
The future prosperity of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region lies in the hands of young people. Following a Decision of the SADC Council of Ministers in Windhoek, Republic of Namibia in 2000, SADC introduced the annual SADC Secondary School Essay Competition.The SADC Secondary School Essay Competition is open to all Secondary School learners in the SADC Member States. This competition aims to raise awareness among the youth to research and articulate issues to support the process of SADC regional cooperation, integration and socio-economic development.
The topic for the 2024 SADC Secondary School Essay competition is; “How can Human and Financial Capital drive Industrial Development in the SADC Region?“
The topic is derived from the theme of the 43rd Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Luanda, Republic of Angola, on 17th August 2023, which is;“Human and Financial Capital: The Key Drivers for Sustainable Industrialisation in the SADC Region”. The theme seeks to address two of the most critical enablers in supporting regional industrialisation, namely adequate human resources in terms of numbers and technical capacity within the context of climate change and 4th Industrial Revolution, and adequate financial resources to ensure more sustainable funding mechanisms. Learners are required to submit their essays to their Ministries responsible for Education through their School head teachers. The Ministry responsible for Education selects the best three essay winners at national level to compete at regional level.
Learners are required to submit their essays to their Ministries responsible for Education through their School head teachers. The Ministry responsible for Education selects the best three essay winners at national level to compete at regional level. Upon receipt of the three national winners from Member States, the SADC Secretariat invites three education experts from different SADC Member States on a rotational basis to adjudicate or mark the essays to select the three winning essays out of all the essays submitted from Member States.The top three regional winners receive prizes as follows; The First Regional Winner gets a prize of US$1,500, the Second Winner gets US$1,000, and the Third Winner gets US$750 and Certificates.To encourage learners who submit essays at national level, SADC awards three national winners as follows; Overall national winner gets US$500, the Second Winner gets a prize of US$300, and the Third Winner gets US$200. The SADC Secretariat is encouraging learners in the SADC Member States to enter the SADC Annual Secondary School Essay Competition. Parents, teachers and school authorities should encourage learners to be part of this regional competition so that our youth start to actively take part in the process of regional cooperation, integration and socio-economic development.
Videos promoting the competition:
English – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJLRUxsWXyc
Portuguese – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYHVgYuVvH4
French – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeHp0DzZRD0For more information about the SADC Secondary School Essay Competition, contact the SADC Secretariat by emailing [email protected].
