Sustaining and Scaling Up Education Innovation in Africa

By 2100, Africa’s share of the global population will rise to 40%, and by 2035, the continent will have the world’s largest workforce, even larger than that of China and India. However, Africa would need to build 125 Harvard’s every single year from now to 2035, just to catch up to India’s level of tertiary enrollment--26%--which is even lower than China’s 42.7%. The problem though, is that Africa does not have nearly enough educators needed for such a scale, nor can its average government and family budgets bear what that would cost.

In the words of Fred Swaniker, Chairman of the African Leadership Group, “We are sitting on the cusp of a global humanitarian disaster of unprecedented scale. We cannot build enough walls to stop 40% of the world’s population from seeking better opportunities elsewhere”.

Nonetheless, this challenge also presents a monumental opportunity for the global community to join forces in innovatively unleashing the limitless potential of its youngest continent.African governments and educationists must learn from China’s rich experience in achieving high quality 21st century education at scale.

Get quality help now

Prof. Finch

Verified writer

Proficient in: Importance Of Education

4.7 (346)

“ This writer never make an mistake for me always deliver long before due date. Am telling you man this writer is absolutely the best. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Rolled out in 1999, the “Twenty-first Century Education Revitalization” played a significant role in the radical increase in the Chinese university gross enrolment ratio. But given the financial constraints faced by African governments, the private sector also has a unique opportunity to take a lead in enabling such a revolution in African education. ALU remains an inspiring example with that regard, having launched 4 years ago, a working model able to develop African talent at a speed, scale, and quality never before seen in Africa, with a low-cost approach.

Its model is based on three core principles: A student-driven, technology-enabled, peer-to-peer learning model reliant on student engagement, and not on a scarce resource--qualified faculty.

Today, thanks to technology, information has become ubiquitous; so rather than being the only source of students’ learning, teachers can become more mentor-like and foster a culture of focus and resilience within learning communities.A practical, project-based learning approach in developing entrepreneurially-minded problem-solvers who will learn how to learn in the ever-changing global 21st century markets. This will decrease Africa’s unemployment rate, with students being equipped to create their own jobs if they wish.An innovative approach to student finance using income-sharing arrangements. This “pay-it-forward” approach is using global capital markets to ensure that students can receive an education at close to zero upfront cost, graduate debt-free and only pay a share of their income to investors once they are employed. Finally, anthropologists have established collective historical consciousness as an essential source of innovation . It becomes an imperative for African educationists, while learning from success stories like China’s, to be in touch with and leverage the latent wisdom emanating from their unique and ever-evolving African cultural, political, social, economic and ecological landscape. It is indeed the only position from which Africa can authentically and optimally contribute to the achievement of global peace and inclusive prosperity.