Africa is often described as the youngest continent and the future workforce of the world. However, to fulfil this potential, the education systems in Africa must be improved to ensure positive growth globally and, more specifically, for local communities.
Unfortunately, a series of reports sponsored by the First Ladies of Malawi and Uganda, as well as Ministers of Education from multiple African countries, including Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ghana, found that children in Africa are five times less likely to learn basic skills than those living anywhere else in the world.
Additionally, the ability of education systems on the continent to ensure even rudimentary literacy skills for their students has declined in four out of ten African countries over the last three decades.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only made things worse. School closures caused by the pandemic exacerbated previously existing inequalities, and children who were already most at risk of being excluded from a quality education have been most affected.
For instance, the World Bank reports that in South Africa, Grade 2 students lost between 57% and 70% of a year of learning compared to their pre-pandemic peers, and Grade 4 students lost 62% to 81%. In Uganda, where schools were closed for two years, the share of young students who could read and comprehend a story did not reduce between 2018 and 2021, but the share who could not even read letters of the alphabet doubled in size.
Africa's education vulnerabilities are not just in preparing the future with early childhood education, with adult education and workforce re-education still far behind global standards. A recent UNICEF report circling 40 African countries states that one in four African countries spends less than 0.5% of their education budget on adult learning, while a further 18% reported spending less than 1%. For some context, OECD countries spend an average of 3.8% of their GDPs on adult education and active labour market programmes.
To improve and develop Africa's education sector, governments alone will not be able to solve these issues. The sector presents a significant opportunity for private entities who could enjoy meaningful impact along massive markets with expected population growth. Around 60% of Africans are under 25 years of age, and Africa's population is growing three times faster than the global average, projected to surpass Asia as the most populous continent by 2070, according to UN projections.
Governments and private entities must collaborate to create immense value and make a significant impact. Many solutions to these issues are not obvious. For example, companies in early childhood education seek to complement in-class learning with on-air or online educational content.
Akili Network is educating African children through TV with its shows Akili Kids!, Akili Fam!, and others. Akili's content not only provides away-from-school learning opportunities for children but it was also found useful as an informal learning opportunity for children who cannot attend school. Akili is now the most-watched TV channel by children 17 years old and younger in Kenya.
Other companies are preparing and connecting young African men and women with the world's best educational institutions. Craydel's platform provides guidance and support for students to apply to global high schools and universities, including searching for schools, applying for scholarships, visa applications, and more.
Furthermore, Alt School is equipping people with in-demand skills in just 12 months. Even though this segment has giants, the constantly-growing market still needs more solutions. These companies are doing their part in educating Africans, from complementing in-class learning through TV, providing learning opportunities to out-of-school children, helping young Africans access world-class education through traditional institutions, to equipping Africans regardless of age with in-demand skills to be productive in only 12 months.
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To ensure that Africa really becomes the "workforce of the world", governments must do their part by prioritising education funding, while private entities must continue to innovate and collaborate with governments to create sustainable solutions. While the solutions to Africa's education challenges are not always obvious, collaboration and innovation can make a significant impact on the education sector and contribute to the growth and development of the continent as a whole.
The writers are entrepreneurs and investors, leading sustainability-driven innovation across Africa.
