Has demand for private education services in Africa shown any marked growth?
The demand for education services in African countries is rising at a faster rate than governments can supply. Public school systems struggle to meet the demand for high-quality primary and secondary education. Most public schools are inadequately financed and the quality of education suffers from a lack of resources. Many African countries are struggling to meet the Millennium Development Goal of offering primary education to all by 2015, and also failing to produce the calibre of higher education institutions required to compete effectively in today’s knowledge-based global economy. The introduction of free primary education in some countries has led to increased enrolment at the primary level without a complementary increase at the secondary level, further compounding already low transition rates. As far as higher education is concerned, few student loan programs are available despite the demand, thereby limiting access to education and employment. It is a problem that governments a
