Report
Invest: Harnessing the Latent Potential in African Education Systems
Inform, invest, implement: Research insights from 33 countries
Highlights
This paper examines how African governments can invest in under-resourced areas to transform education systems. It focuses on three key areas of latent potential:
- Early childhood education (ECE) lays the foundation for lifelong learning, but less than one third of preschool-age children across the continent are enrolled in ECE and public investments remain low. ECE needs to be made a priority for African governments and their partners, with embedded quality monitoring as the sector expands.
- Targeted instruction for vulnerable children addresses issues of equity and inclusion. Targeted instruction through remedial, bridging, catch-up and accelerated programmes can improve learning outcomes, reduce repetition and dropout rates, and strengthen the links between formal and non-formal education systems.
- Education technologies in teaching and learning can enable flexible and personalized learning for students. Governments should build on the continent’s ongoing digital transformation, accompanied by low- and no-connectivity options, and a focus on integrating education technology within the broader education system.
Suggested citation: UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, Invest: Harnessing the latent potential in African education systems – Synthesis of UNICEF Innocenti research on education in Africa, UNICEF Innocenti, Florence, December 2024.
Publication date
Languages
English
