Education Woes in Africa

Over 40 million school-age children in sub-Saharan Africa do not go to school, reports All Africa News Agency. A number of problems have plagued the region’s school systems. For example, as a result of economic problems, many schools have no water and few or no toilets. There are shortages of textbooks, and teachers are poorly trained. In addition to economic woes, there is a high incidence of pregnancy among teenage girls, which is a major cause of their high dropout rate. AIDS has also had a negative impact on school attendance. “Early sexual activity among adolescents has led to higher AIDS infection among adolescents,” says Africa News. In some cases girls who have not contracted AIDS are required to stay home to care for relatives who are stricken with the disease. Says Dr. Edward Fiske, a primary education specialist for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization: “With no school, the future for most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa hangs on balance.”