10 years of “Schools for Africa”: successes and challenges

“Schools for Africa” ​​has become a success story for girls and boys in 13 African countries over the past decade. To date, more than 30 million children have benefited from the initiative. Four million children were reached in countries affected by natural or military conflicts. Four million disadvantaged girls were able to attend school on an equal footing. And over 2,800 schools have been built and refurbished to create a better learning environment. This also includes the improvement of sanitary facilities.

There are still many challenges in the near future . The first challenge to overcome is to ensure that schools are built and well equipped. Above all, the quality of teaching in these schools is a top priority on the agenda. During their training, teachers have to learn modern teaching methods, with which they involve the children more and encourage them to think for themselves. Innovative technologies must be used in educational work and alternative educational opportunities further developed. Girls must also be protected from early marriage or from being forced to quit school due to them having their own child. Children from poor families need to be assisted in attending pre-school.