Supplying Basic Education and Learning to Sub-Saharan Africa in the Twenty-First Century

This article posits that schooling in Sub-Saharan Africa has so far failed to yield the results expected of it on twogrounds. First, the population of persons accessing both basic education and other levels of education is negligible incomparison with those who ought to access them (1 out of every 4 primary school age children; less than half of thequalified secondary school students; about 7% gross enrolment within higher education). Second, schooling hasfailed to deliver the kind of socio-economic development expected in the case of Sub-Saharan Africa as a highprevalence of poverty still exists and incongruity continues to exist between the education provided and thelivelihoods of Sub-Saharan Africans. Using this poor educational and development performance as justification, amore utilitarian, relevant and sustainable approach to basic education and learning is recommended for Africa goingforward. This recommended approach combines both the current school system with a special non-formal educationsystem for the purpose of delivering basic education and learning in Sub-Saharan Africa in the twenty-first century.