The number of sub-Saharan Africa countries with free secondary education policies in place has increased rapidly over the last two decades. Free secondary education policies in sub-Saharan Africa. High fees and related costs are a major impediment, particularly for children from low-income backgrounds.
Less than half of children in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary education, compared to around 80% in South Asia and Latin America. But secondary school enrolment rates still lag far behind those in other world regions. Many African countries abolished primary school fees in the 1990s and early 2000s. Based on these findings, we recommend a policy of “progressive universalism”: free education should be introduced gradually, starting with the lowest levels. We conclude that free secondary education can be costly and inequitable in the short run, especially if it diverts resources from primary education. We conducted a systematic review to take stock of the evidence. A report by the Malala Fund, a global education NGO, argued that free upper secondary education “would be regressive in nature” and might not be affordable for low-income countries. They highlight financial sustainability and equity implications, especially at the upper secondary level. The African Union, global NGOs like Human Rights Watch and various United Nations agencies are in favour. Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa were early trendsetters in this regard.ĭespite its popularity with policymakers, parents and other stakeholders, the abolition of secondary school fees in resource-constrained contexts is still a subject of debate. Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Zambia have all announced free secondary education policies in the last five years. When President Salva Kiir announced the abolition of secondary school fees in South Sudan in February 2023, he was following several fellow African leaders.
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