The ADEA Working Group on Education Management and Policy Support and the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat produced this 2014 report for the African Union (AU)’s Conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union (COMEDAF).

The report analyzes educational progress and challenges in implementing the Plan of Action for the Second Decade of Education for Africa (2006-2015) in the region, focusing on the eight priority areas of gender and culture, EMIS, teacher development, higher education, TVET, curriculum and teaching materials, quality management, and ECD. 

The report warns of existing national and regional variations. That notwithstanding, it notes increased enrollment in school and TVET institutions, improved education data collection, increased supply of qualified teachers, expanded access in higher education, curriculum reform that has included the Kiswahili language, and all governments in the region are spending at least a third of their financial resources on the education sector. 

Challenges highlighted include high dropout rates in secondary, poor ECD environment, and limited coordination within the sector. 

The conclusion underscores the importance of quality, up-to-date data, improving in-service teacher training, addressing teacher migration and working conditions, enhancing quality assurance and research in higher education, and improved coordination, communication, and resource mobilization strategies.