Transforming education in Africa
Accelerating action to transform education to meet the needs of a changing region
Challenge
The learning crisis in Eastern and Southern Africa
The Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region is home to an estimated 366.5 million (2025) children and young people aged 0 to 24, with projections estimating that this will surge to 400 million by 2030 and potentially half a billion by mid-century. Out of this number nearly 10 per cent have some form of disability and continue to face challenges in accessing services including education. This growing population, coupled with a dependency ratio of 75 per cent, places substantial pressure on governments to provide essential social services, particularly education. Additionally, 11 countries within ESA face high-to-very-high risks of humanitarian crises and disasters, with more than 290 million children and young people in the region estimated to be from these countries (about 80 per cent of ESA). In 2024, 15 ESA countries were affected by multiple crises, including drought, floods, cyclones, displacement, violence, conflict, socio-political conditions, and food insecurity, impacting nearly 60 million school-aged children and adolescents across these countries.
- 47 million children aged 6 to 17 are estimated to have been out of school in 2024, majority of whom are dropouts from respective education systems. Among out of school children (OOSC), 3 out of 7 are children and young people with disabilities. Poverty continues to be a major driver, with nine out of ten children from the poorest households estimated to have never accessed or stayed in school, to complete even primary education.
- Nine in ten children aged 10 from the ESA region are unable to read for comprehension, and the situation is even worse for children from conflict affected or climate-change-risk contexts. The pace of learning for children may also be up to six times slower in conflict-affected countries compared to countries affected by recurring natural disasters. These disadvantaged children represent the majority in the region. Despite concerted efforts from governments and partners, the scarcity of learning resources persists, compounded by a significant shortage of teachers, including qualified teachers, with an estimated gap of approximately five million in the region. Teacher absenteeism, which ranges from 15 to 45 per cent in the region further diminishes instructional time, limiting effective learning opportunities.
- Only 48 per cent of young people on average complete lower secondary education, which drops to 25 per cent in upper secondary education. Across the region, less than one-third of young people have basic digital skills. For every 100 male youth, only 65 female youth have these skills. This situation reflects a severe skills gap and a lack of access to flexible, relevant and accredited ‘learning and earning’ opportunities. Estimates indicate that unemployment rates for youth aged 15 to 24 in the region are at 20 per cent, rising to over 50 per cent in some countries. This does not account for those trapped in unsafe, vulnerable employment, working poverty and underemployment, especially in the informal sector.​
- 12 out of 21 ESA countries spend within the recommended 15 to 20 per cent of their national expenditure on education. However, the number of students supported by these resources is too high, watering down the overall effort. Furthermore, the spending is not equitable, with spending disproportionately focused on higher education at the expense of early and foundational learning. Comparatively, high income countries spend more than 30 times per student compared to the average spending in ESA, highlighting the magnitude of work that countries in the region need to do to bridge the education spending gap.
Progress
Access to education in the region has recorded positive progress in the past decade. Based on regional data aggregated around 2021, half of eligible children participate in organized learning before joining primary school. The gross enrolment ratio in pre-primary is 37 per cent, the primary adjusted net enrolment rate is 80 per cent, the gross enrolment ratio in secondary is 36 per cent, and the tertiary gross enrolment ratio is 10 per cent. While gender gaps in access have reduced, the transition to secondary education and socioeconomic disparities remain a challenge across the education spectrum.
Solution
To address the challenges confronting education in the region and specifically the learning crisis, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa is supporting the implementation of five key priorities, and associated change strategies which include:
Scaling up early childhood education (ECE),
which is paramount in laying the groundwork for lifelong learning and development. UNICEF is promoting diversification of ECE implementation modalities, including private and community-based initiatives, to further expand opportunities particularly in underserved areas.
Foundational literacy and numeracy, which is the bedrock of education.
UNICEF is championing the teaching of children at their right learning levels and implementing structured instruction approaches such as structured pedagogy, which focuses on effective teacher training, learning assessments, provision of learning materials and lesson planning. The region is also advocating for the scaling up of existing best practices and behaviours to ensure that all children have the support they need to reach their full potential.
Enhancing skills and employability for young people, to foster economic growth and social development.
Advancing the rights of young people will be critical for fulfilling their potential, supporting the region’s demographic transition and achieving gender equality and empowerment, particularly by enrolling and keeping adolescent boys and girls in school, facilitating learning, skills development and entrepreneurship, enhancing their health and well-being and promoting their active and constructive social, climate and civic engagement on all matters that affect their lives. UNICEF is focusing on scaling up 21st-century skills in formal and non-formal secondary-age education, creating and promoting multiple flexible pathways for learning and skills for out-of-school young people, and enhancing work preparedness for youth to foster economic growth, civic engagement and social impact. These approaches leverage evidence, technology, innovations, and new partnerships to unlock the potential of young people at scale.
Advocating for the increase of budgets and enhanced efficiency and equity in education financing, which is essential for ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and equitably within the education sector and across other government sectors.
UNICEF will continue to actively advocate for countries in the region to increase education spending to 20 per cent of their national budgets, with a specific focus on early years education. This will help bridge existing gaps and improve access to quality education for all children and young people. Additionally, UNICEF is advocating for the redistribution of resources to early years education to ensure that the most vulnerable children receive the support they need to succeed. It includes setting up of school grant systems that take into consideration the unique needs of learners with disabilities and other disadvantaged and marginalized groups.
Addressing cross-cutting issues such as gender, disability and inclusion, and emergency preparedness to create inclusive and resilient education systems.
UNICEF is advocating for inclusive and gender responsive education systems as well as the prioritization of investments in risk-informed education systems that can mitigate, respond to, and support recovery from climate, conflict, and public health shocks. This approach will ensure that learning continuity is maintained for all children, even in times of crisis. The UNICEF regional office is also working with country offices to integrate climate resilience and literacy into education systems at various levels, to equip practitioners and children of all ages with the knowledge and skills to adapt to a changing world and take action to address climate challenges.
Resources
UNICEF supports countries to generate evidence on how and where to make the most effective investments for children. In addition to the resources below, check out our global publications catalogue.