2024: The Year of Education Across This Continent

2024 has been declared the Year of Education in Africa, and The Seychelles is leading the way.

The African Union has declared that 2024 is the year of education, emphasizing that it will focus on “building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning.” This investment in education goes hand in hand with the goal of tackling poverty, addressing gender and social inequalities, and creating prosperous nations, as well as highlighting the importance of education as a basic human right.

The African continent is home to the youngest population in the world, with reports showing significant disparity in access to education for children, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated nine million girls and six million boys from six to 11 years old will never attend school. However, the Seychelles – through deliberate planning, political will, and enhanced teaching training – has become the best-ranked country for education within the continent. It is also the only African country in the world’s top 50 education systems, holding a literacy level of over 90 per cent. As Africa sets its sights on greater education for all, it may look to its island nation neighbour for inspiration.