Africa

Africa consists of many diverse countries rooted in deep cultural traditions. A region with the lowest primary school enrollment, Africa has made some improvements as a result of the Millennium Development Goals through the help of international government and non-government agencies. Many of the challenges that persist in Africa are disparities in wealth, gender, education, and disability. However, with continued growth in the region, Africa has a promising future as many countries continue to create education initiatives and increase access to education for boys and girls.

Africa Regional Highlights

• In 2000, the ratification of a convention on the construction of pilot huts for early childhood was passed in Senegal. UNESCO has contributed toys to the early childhood centers and is cultivating community partners.
• In Botswana, citizens shared their vision for education and the government prepared a report titled Vision 2016: Towards Prosperity for All. This report details the country’s educational goals, which focus on improvement and access to education for all in an effort to have informed and educated citizens.
• Mozambique passed recent educational policy focused on a recommitment to providing access to basic quality education for all children. Significant increases in enrollment have been achieved at both the primary and secondary education levels in Mozambique as a result of these government initiatives.

Nations In Depth

Nigeria

Children in Nigeria receive nine years of schooling focused on promoting values that encourage the growth of each individual. Educational initiatives recently have been focused on increasing the quality and training of teachers. The Nigerian government has shown its investment in the educational system through a continued commitment to strengthening and implementing policies that ensure every citizen has access to quality education. Learn more here

Ethiopia

Ethiopia has a decentralized educational system that is focused on increasing access to quality education, developing citizens who can problem-solve and think critically, and encourage the development of local languages and cultures within each region. A focus has been on capacity building and sustainable development with a renewed focus on innovative teaching and educational approaches. Learn more here

South Africa

In 1995, the Ministry of Education in South Africa produced a document detailing the first steps of developing a new educational system. The formalized apartheid educational structure has been replaced with a distribution of power among the provincial areas. The government has worked closely with UNICEF to produce Guidelines for Early Child Development (ECD) to ensure that children have access to quality early childhood education programs. Learn more here