Technological Infrastructure and Use of ICT in Education in ... - ADEA

Technological Infrastructure and Use of ICT in Education in Africa: an overview
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global knowledge society/economy is a long one, it is a journey that
has begun.
Literacy levels are a common starting point for assessing the state of
basic education. As Chart 1 below illustrates, many African countries still
have some way to go in achieving basic literacy for all, although many
gains have been made during the past decade.
Chart 1: Adult literacy in selected African countries
Source: Human Development Indicators (2002)
Few countries in Africa have achieved universal primary education (only
10 countries in 1999), although enrolments have increased. From the chart
below showing primary school enrolments 5 for several African countries,
it can be seen that none of the selected countries have achieved an
enrolment ratio of 50% or greater. Only 26% of primary school-going age
children from Niger are enrolled in schools, leaving 74% not in school.
On average, only 37.7% of primary school children are in school in the
seven selected countries, and the figures are worse when enrolment
ratios for girls only are reviewed. For many countries, these data are still
not readily available.
UNESCO (2002) notes that to achieve universal primary education in
sub-Saharan African an additional 88.1 million primary school places will
need to be created. In addition to Niger, the problem is particularly acute
for Angola, the Central African Republic, DR Congo, Lesotho, Liberia, and
Somalia, which each need to increase their places in primary schools
by more than ten times current levels. Further, the EFA (Education for All)
5. It should also be noted that several authors are questioning the relevance of enrolment
ratios as a measure of educational success in favour of graduation rates, which provide a
better indication of the quality of schooling, and of the learning that takes place.
5. Socio-Economic Context of Sub-Saharan Africa