Africa: A Child's First 5 Years Set Them Up for Life. African Study Explores How to Target Education Spending

What the report says

An analysis republished by AllAfrica and originally written for The Conversation Africa says the first five years of a child’s life are critical for later schooling, health and earnings, yet more than 77% of children in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to early childhood care and education. The piece, dated 7 September 2026 and credited to economists Katherine Theiss and Subha Mani, argues that simply expanding pre-primary enrolment is not enough if governments want stronger outcomes.

The authors reviewed evidence from six government-backed pre-primary programmes in low- and middle-income African countries, including The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique. Most of the programmes were in rural or remote areas and emphasized play-based learning, teacher training and, in some cases, basic teaching materials or stipends. On average, the reviewed interventions were associated with gains in children’s cognitive, social and emotional development.

The analysis says the strongest results tended to come when programmes also supported parents, not just classrooms. Examples cited include parenting education that encouraged reading, play and less harsh discipline, alongside efforts to improve teacher-child interaction. The authors conclude that qualified staff, effective communication with families and good implementation are key to making early childhood spending more effective.

The findings are presented as relevant to African efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4.2, which aims to ensure access to quality pre-primary education by 2030.