The ADEA Inter-Country Quality Node on Mathematics and Science Education (ICQN-MSE) developed this Toolkit in 2024 to address the critical gaps, identified by countries, in providing STEM education at basic learning levels. The gaps include inconsistent understanding of STEM education, inadequate resources, low student interest in STEM careers, curriculum irrelevance, and insufficient trained educators.

The STEM Toolkit offers a harmonized, flexible, and adaptable framework to guide African countries in implementing effective STEM education policies. It emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of STEM education and its role in equipping learners with essential knowledge and 21st-century skills.

Key components include steps for formulating and refining STEM education policies tailored to national contexts; a framework for shifting from siloed teaching to an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating play-based, inquiry-based, and problem-based learning aligned with competency-based curricula; evidence-based strategies for designing responsive teacher training programs to enhance STEM pedagogy; and 
guidelines for establishing systems to track, evaluate, and enhance STEM education quality.

It is aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, and CESA. By fostering innovative teaching, collaborative learning, and effective policy implementation, the toolkit aims to prepare learners for STEM careers and the evolving job market, contributing to Africa’s sustainable development.