There are around 100 million African children out of school which is endangering the global push towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
That’s according to the former President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, who is leading The Education Commission’s push to convert its call for new ways of financing classrooms around the world, into action.
He’s visited 14 African countries in the past few months, meeting with heads of state and government—so-called Pioneer Country Visits—urging them to join a new financing compact to reform education at all levels.
The UN Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, says the world must act now to provide access to half the world’s children who are missing out on even basic learning.
Matthew Wells asked Mr Kikwete, who was in Washington to discuss the Education Commission’s work at the World Bank Spring Meetings, to outline the challenge.