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Invest: Harnessing the Latent Potential in African Education Systems. Synthesis of UNICEF Innocenti Research on Education in Africa. Working Paper

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Invest: Harnessing the Latent Potential in African Education Systems. Synthesis of UNICEF Innocenti Research on Education in Africa. Working Paper
Language: English
Authors: Dita Nugroho, Thomas Dreesen, Marta Carnelli, Ghalia Ghawi, Marco Valenza, Stefania Vindrola, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti (Italy)
Source: UNICEF Innocenti - Global Office of Research and Foresight. 2024.
Availability: UNICEF Innocenti - Global Office of Research and Foresight. Via degli Alfani, 58, 50121, Florence, Italy. Tel: 39055-20330; Fax: 39055-2033220. email: florence@unicef.org; Web site: https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 43
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Educational Improvement, Access to Education, Government School Relationship, Outcomes of Education, Disadvantaged Schools, Early Childhood Education, At Risk Students, Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education, Resilience (Psychology), Inclusion
Geographic Terms: Africa
Abstract: The African Union has dedicated 2024 as the Year of Education, seeing it as an opportunity to regalvanize member States towards the achievement of their education goals. The building of stronger, more learning-focused education systems is urgently needed on the continent. Africa has a growing population of young people: by 2030, Africa's under-18 population will increase by 170 million to 750 million and will reach 1 billion by 2050, accounting for 40 per cent of the under-18 population globally (UNICEF, 2017). Ensuring that these children and young people receive the education to gain the skills needed for them to succeed in ever-evolving societies and economies is essential not just for the continent but for the world. As Africa continues its demographic shift, it is also more critical than ever that education systems are built to be resilient to shocks and emergencies. In Africa, 39 out of 54 nations are at high risk of climate and environmental shocks. The immediate environmental disasters related to climate change directly affect and shut schools due to dangerously high temperatures or extreme weather events, droughts and floods, but they also contribute to increases in conflict and violence, further putting children and their education at risk. Improving the efficiency and quality of education systems and building resilience are not competing goals. On the contrary, investing in programmes to improve education quality and access can also increase system resilience. This paper examines a crucial question facing African education systems today: How can governments invest in under-resourced areas to transform education systems, improving their outcomes and enhancing their resilience? To address this question, the paper focuses on three key areas of latent potential for impact: early childhood education (ECE), targeted instruction for vulnerable children, and education technology (often referred to as 'EdTech').
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED676235
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The African Union has dedicated 2024 as the Year of Education, seeing it as an opportunity to regalvanize member States towards the achievement of their education goals. The building of stronger, more learning-focused education systems is urgently needed on the continent. Africa has a growing population of young people: by 2030, Africa's under-18 population will increase by 170 million to 750 million and will reach 1 billion by 2050, accounting for 40 per cent of the under-18 population globally (UNICEF, 2017). Ensuring that these children and young people receive the education to gain the skills needed for them to succeed in ever-evolving societies and economies is essential not just for the continent but for the world. As Africa continues its demographic shift, it is also more critical than ever that education systems are built to be resilient to shocks and emergencies. In Africa, 39 out of 54 nations are at high risk of climate and environmental shocks. The immediate environmental disasters related to climate change directly affect and shut schools due to dangerously high temperatures or extreme weather events, droughts and floods, but they also contribute to increases in conflict and violence, further putting children and their education at risk. Improving the efficiency and quality of education systems and building resilience are not competing goals. On the contrary, investing in programmes to improve education quality and access can also increase system resilience. This paper examines a crucial question facing African education systems today: How can governments invest in under-resourced areas to transform education systems, improving their outcomes and enhancing their resilience? To address this question, the paper focuses on three key areas of latent potential for impact: early childhood education (ECE), targeted instruction for vulnerable children, and education technology (often referred to as 'EdTech').