Education is not the Filling of a Pail, but the Lighting of a Fire

We are bridging the gap between rich and poor by offering good quality education for the most underprivileged. So by promoting education in Africa we enable children to restore their dignity, choose their own path in life and achieve their dreams.

'Enormous progress in educational development has been achieved in Africa over the past forty years. Yet the region, taken as a whole, still lags far behind all other parts of the world in almost all educational areas.

To cope with the growing demand for primary education, African countries need to dramatically increase the capacity of their school systems. In 1987, there were 73 million children in school; in 2001, the figure had increased to 106 million. To meet the goal of universal primary education by 2015, nearly 180 million children need to find a place in school. At current trends almost half of countries in the region are unlikely to attain this goal.

Reform is required to keep in tune with the educational needs and aspirations of African youth and the development goals of the continent. Other urgent issues include the lack of teachers, schools, equipment, laboratories and textbooks.'

We feel the most effective method is to develop an inclusive educational system. 'Inclusive education aims to address the learning needs of all children, youth and adults. Inclusive education is an issue that cuts across all areas of education – early childhood, primary, special needs, vocational and adult education, teacher training and curriculum development. It also takes into account special needs related to culture and social development. In Africa, where poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, rural isolation and conflict are commonplace, the need for education systems that are inclusive, i.e. that cater for all learners, is particularly acute.