Primary education is one of the successes that Africa can boast about. The Africa Economic Outlook (2009) notes that 67.9 per cent of countries have already reached the gender parity target in primary education.

The main challenges are primary school completion by girls, their progression to secondary and tertiary levels of education and the deteriorating quality of education, due to under-funding, shortage of trained teachers and lack of basic infrastructure.

Governments have taken noteworthy measures to eliminate barriers that hinder boys and girls’ access to education (for example: free and compulsory education for primary level in many countries; strategic plans for girls’ education; campaigns to reduce girls’ school drop-out rate; increase in the education budget namely, etc). Efforts were made to create girl-friendly school environment and implement a teenage pregnancy education policy in some countries.

Measures were taken to increase tertiary enrolment and retention of women and girls, especially in sciences, mathematics and technology-related disciplines (affirmative action measures, special quotas for girls, preferential treatment for placement in university residences).

Member countries should put in place measures to accelerate the progression of girls and boys from primary to secondary school levels through further subsidization of secondary and technical education. They should also plan action and interventions to maximize retention and reverse high rate of drop outs among both girls and boys, in addition to reforming and enforcing laws that encourage early marriages for girls and intensify sensitization on educating the girl child.