Back to the Blackboard

The document assesses the state of education in sub-Saharan Africa, noting that over 40 million children are out of school and progress toward Millennium Development Goals is too slow. It argues that UPE alone cannot drive development and calls for a comprehensive strategy including the expansion of secondary education, significant increases in teacher salaries and training, and curriculum reform. The report highlights that HIV/Aids, corruption, and a lack of funding—specifically a need for $1 billion to $2 billion in upfront commitments—hinder progress. It suggests that Africa should emulate East Asia's planning and financial commitment to education to close the global skills gap.

• Sub-Saharan Africa is failing to meet Universal Primary Education (UPE) targets, with over 40 million children—nearly half of the primary school-age population—out of school, two-thirds of whom are female. At current growth rates, the region will not achieve UPE until at least 2150.
• There is a critical shortage and quality gap in teaching; Unesco estimates the continent requires at least three million more teachers. The profession fails to attract top talent because teachers are paid poorly, leading competent educators to seek better-paying roles.
• Secondary education is severely neglected despite its importance for economic value. The World Bank estimates only about 25% of primary graduates enroll in secondary school, and only 10% of those complete their education.
• HIV/Aids significantly undermines educational attainment by forcing children to leave school to care for family and by killing educators. UNAids predicts that by 2005, up to 20% of educators in sub-Saharan Africa will have died from Aids.
• African students perform poorly in mathematics and science compared to international peers. In the 1998 Third International Mathematics and Science Study Repeat, South Africa scored 275 out of 800, well below the international average of 487 and behind countries like Indonesia, Chile, and Malaysia.
• Financial constraints and corruption impede progress. Poorest African countries spend an average of 15% of revenue on debt servicing, and an additional $1 billion to $2 billion in upfront commitments from donors is required to support education.

APA

Govender, P., & Gruzd, S. (2004). Back to the Blackboard. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Nepad-Education-Book-FinalExecSummaryreduced.pdf

Chicago

Govender, Peroshni, and Steven Gruzd. Back to the Blackboard. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2004. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Nepad-Education-Book-FinalExecSummaryreduced.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Govender |first1=Peroshni |last2=Gruzd |first2=Steven |title=Back to the Blackboard |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=2004 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Nepad-Education-Book-FinalExecSummaryreduced.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{govender2004back, author = {Govender, Peroshni and Gruzd, Steven}, title = {{Back to the Blackboard}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2004}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Nepad-Education-Book-FinalExecSummaryreduced.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }