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A NEW World Bank programme is on the cards to expand equitable access and enhance learning outcomes in basic education across Eastern and Southern Africa, benefiting over 70 million children.
The “Advancing Innovative Methods to Promote Learning (AIM4Learning) Programme” is a US$1.54 billion regional programme funded by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
With a focus on addressing the learning crisis in Eastern and Southern Africa, the World Bank has said the programme will use the latest innovations and technologies to enhance education quality while supporting the rapid expansion of school enrollment.
“AIM4learning will help countries in the region reduce school dropout rates, increase completion rates, and optimize the funding of basic education,” said the multilateral finance organisation in a latest statement.
It noted that over the past 20 years, countries in Eastern and Southern Africa have made significant progress in basic education. Increased government spending has driven rapid expansions in school enrollment, including for girls.
However, despite improvements, the World Bank says the region is facing a growing learning crisis, education outcomes remain low, with the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent shocks further dragging down learning results.
“Today, only 11 percent of children in the countries to be addressed by AIM4Learning can read and understand a simple text by age 10, and 14 million basic school-age children are out of school. The programme aims to halve this population, to 7 million by 2034,” reads the statement.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s fastest-growing child population, making foundational learning for all more critical than ever.
“AIM4Learning is an ambitious regional programme dedicated to ensuring quality education for every African child. By investing in education, we invest not just in individual futures, but in the prosperity, stability, and dignity of the entire continent,” said Victoria Kwakwa, vice president for the World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region.
The AIM4Learning programme will be implemented in phases over a 10-year period and the first phase will include participation from Comoros and Ethiopia.
“Across the world, technology is increasingly seen as an accelerator for learning, particularly for hard-to-reach and vulnerable children,” said Laura Frigenti, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education.
“But deploying technology and resources to tackle the grave education crisis and prepare children for the jobs of the future is no easy task. Partnerships are key to offer countries context-relevant technology support that can help them transform their education systems and make them fit for the 21st century.”
The World bank said AIM4Learning is built on four pillars – transforming learning spaces, developing an effective teacher workforce, strengthening education systems and financing, and encouraging cross-country collaboration.
It said each participating country will select from a tailored set of options under each pillar, aligning with its specific context and most pressing challenges.
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