The President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of the African Union, said on Tuesday that the economic and social challenges facing the African continent are due to its “failure to build inclusive educational systems that ensure quality.”
During the opening of the continental conference on education, youth, and employability skills, Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani added, “Despite our efforts to improve education, our continent remains behind.”
He pointed out the low enrollment rates in schools, noting that only 35% of children complete literacy in primary school, and just 23% achieve proficiency in mathematics.
He emphasized that the most prominent characteristic of “Africa’s education system is the lack of quality,” adding that “educational outcomes on the continent are very modest,” with the continent’s need for teachers “projected to rise to 37 million by 2030.”
