COUNTRY FOCUS
The have-nots in the African education system. (Source: Internet for Education in Africa by Internet Society)
How connectivity can
transform education
in Africa
Africa has crossed the tipping point in terms
of availability and awareness of the benefits
of Internet. A grassroot effort to build
educational resources on top of connectivity
platforms is required.
For Africa, a skilled workforce that
utilises ICT effectively is a key factor
in determining its competitiveness in
the global digital economy and for
harnessing its natural resources for
sustainable growth. The region faces
considerable challenges in education
ranging from the absence of quality
teachers, outdated or unavailable
learning and teaching materials and
inadequate physical space for fast-
growing learners.
Over 110 million school children between
6 to 18 years of age are out of school in
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INTELLIGENTCIO
Africa. 37 million young people require
technical and vocational training or
other forms of education that facilitate
paths to their employment. Only about
6% of secondary school graduates find
places in higher education in sub-
Saharan Africa.
The opportunities for using the
Internet for learning are numerous in
Africa. According to the International
Telecommunications Union, more than
a quarter of the African population –
341 million – had access to the Internet
as of 2016, the majority of which are
potential Internet learners. Over half the
population has access to mobile phones.
Countries have also seen improved
broadband connectivity at national
levels through national backbone
networks and internationally through a
variety of submarine cables that landed
on the western and eastern coast of the
continent over the last decade. There is
enough broadband capacity that can
be used to serve the countries’ efforts
to meet sustainable development goals
in general and to facilitate interactive
and equitable learning in particular.
They are providing students and
teachers with necessary equipment and
supporting the development of National
Research and Education Networks.
Development progress of open
educational resources, massive open
online courses, cloud computing and
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