SDG 4 for Africa - Dissecting disparities, dysfunctionalities, inefficiencies in education eco-system


Subhro Prakash GhoshSubhro Prakash Ghosh | Updated: 19-06-2019 12:31 IST | Created: 19-06-2019 12:31 IST
SDG 4 for Africa - Dissecting disparities, dysfunctionalities, inefficiencies in education eco-system
Africa has the world’s largest population of young people with the countries like Niger, Uganda, Chad, Angola, Mali to name a few have youth citizenry proportions (under 18 years old) of over 50 percent. Image Credit: Pixabay
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Education is one of the vital factors that brings transformation in society and even take it to lofty heights along with economic growth. It is difficult to identify the best African country in terms of education as the continent is an assortment of contrasts. Some African countries such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, etc. have beautiful education systems in Africa. The continent has made a considerable effort in enhancing primary and lower secondary school enrolment in the past years, but World Bank report published in 2018 says that some 50 million children still remain out of school, and the majority of them who attend school are not receiving the basic skills required for success in life.

Devdiscourse, through its research project on participatory monitoring of SDGs, has received feedback on education facilities and other related aspects available in various parts of the African continent. For example, in Kenya’s Kiambu region, the local respondents said that the availability and quality of higher education facility for boys are not so good, availability and quality of internet and computers for pedagogical purposes is almost non-existent, while the availability of pre-primary education for the well-being of kids before 5 years of age is also negligible. Further, the feedback data nodes reveal that the availability and quality of teachers and electricity in schools is not so good. The level of provision of knowledge in educational institutions about sustainable development and disaster management is not experienced, affordability of higher education is very costly, the level of provision of knowledge in educational institutions about global citizenship and cultural diversity, environment and human rights is not experienced, availability and quality of adapted infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities is not existing etc.

However, a few responses from Johannesburg in South Africa depict a comparatively positive picture with feedback on availability and quality of higher education facilities in the locality for girls being good, and level of provision of knowledge in educational institutions about global citizenship and cultural diversity being considered good.

According to the feedbacks received from Benator Way 11, Harare, Zimbabwe higher education is costly, level of provision of knowledge in educational institutions about environment, global citizenship, sustainable development, and cultural diversity is poor, availability and quality of school education facilities in the locality for girls is not so good, availability and quality of adapted infrastructure and materials for students with disabilities are poor, availability and quality of teachers in schools is good, availability and quality of single-sex basic sanitation facilities are not so good, availability and quality of internet and computers for pedagogical purposes is poor, level of provision of knowledge in educational institutions about human rights and disaster management is poor, etc.

The adverse effect of the underdeveloped education system in Africa

Africa has the world’s largest population of young people with the countries such as Niger, Uganda, Chad, Angola, Mali to name a few have youth citizenry proportions (under 18 years old) of over 50 percent. The big reason behind high percentages of youth populations in these countries is lack of education, which leads to enhanced reproduction due to lack of awareness about contraceptive measures, teenage pregnancy, and the tendency of having larger-sized families, etc. If the government of each African country does not start taking measures of rapidly educating the society, the youth population on the continent will be double by 2050 that will put severe stress on already strained resources for the region.

Learning levels across the regions are low

According to a report titled “Facing Forward: Schooling for Learning in Africa” published by the World Bank in the first quarter of 2018, learning levels across the region are alarmingly low.  Among second grade students assessed on numeracy tests in several Sub-Saharan African countries, three-quarters could not count beyond 80 and 40 percent could not do a one-digit addition problem, according to the report. In reading, between 50 and 80 percent of children in second grade could not answer a single question based on a short passage they had read, and a large proportion could not read even a single word, the report claims.

On the other hand, progress in the region on education front has been mixed and some nations, Zimbabwe and South Africa, have universalized access to basic education (primary and lower secondary). Other African nations, including the Central African Republic, Liberia, and Chad that have been affected by conflict and political turmoil are lagging behind even in primary school access. However, in most countries, despite rapid advances, richer children, urban children, and boys have the highest access to lower secondary education.

“Providing a high-quality basic education for children across the region is an economic necessity, as well as a moral imperative. This report provides a sobering look at Africa’s learning crisis and the region’s potential to solve it. Young Africans can transform the region and create lasting economic change, but they need to be equipped with the skills and human capital to do so,” said Jaime Saavedra, the World Bank’s Senior Director for Education.

Difficulties in ensuring foundational learning

Meanwhile, the report also provides the solutions like focusing on student progression and the obstruction in early grades where the children are stuck for several years with little learning and are often taught in a language they don’t fully understand. The report summons for ensuring regular student attendance, reducing repetition and class size, and implementing a language of instruction policy. These are the important factors critical to ensuring foundational learning. The report also highlights the elimination of high-stakes examinations between primary and lower secondary school to ensure student progression.

The requirement for better teacher support, mainly around issues of recruitment, preparation, deployment, supervision, and support at the school level is highlighted. There is also a requirement for policies to address high rates of absenteeism and lack of teacher knowledge and skill with a focus on better and more effective teacher preparation programs, on-the-job support, and incentives.

Notable educational development in Africa

The African leaders, despite confronting several socio-economic hurdles, were quick to prioritize education on their developmental agendas over the years. The leaders could foresee that the attainment of universal primary education would assist Africa in uplifting itself from miserable poverty. The governments started building schools and hiring teachers with assistance from various partners including multilateral funding agencies and religious organizations.

On average, the continent’s current primary school enrolment rate is over 80 percent with the continent recording some of the biggest increases in elementary school enrolment globally in the last few decades. More children in Africa are going to school than ever before, the study conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) revealed.

However, despite successes in primary school enrolment, still, inequalities and inefficiencies persist in this inflating sector. The recent expansion in enrolments ‘masks huge disparities and system dysfunctionalities and inefficiencies’ in education subsectors such as pre-primary, technical, vocational and informal education that are severely underdeveloped.

Africa needs to confront growing challenges

It is a well-known fact that Africa’s education and training programs still suffer low-quality teaching and learning, and inequalities present at all levels. A large number of children still remain out of school despite a substantial increase in the number of children’s access to basic education.

Hence, an expert of United Nations Development Programme, Ayodele Odusola said that “quality education is key to social mobility and can thus help reduce poverty, although it may not necessarily reduce (income) inequality.”

J.P. Singh, Managing Director of VisionRI points out that, for Africa, establishing a robust education eco-system means, besides enhanced social awareness and welfare, improved supply and distribution of skilled manpower which, in turn, will catalyze the adoption of advanced technologies and thus improved productivity for achieving impressive economic growth.

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