听The Harsh Reality of Teacher Shortages in Africa

听Africa, with its youthful and dynamic population, holds immense promise for the future. However, this potential can only be realised with access to quality education, and that begins with a sufficient number of skilled teachers. Data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics indicates that the most significant deficits in teaching personnel are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, posing a significant risk to the continent’s development. The region requires approximately 17 million teachers in total to realise the goal of universal primary and secondary education by 2030.

This basic education predicament also affects young people鈥檚 acquisition of future skills鈥攁 formidable barrier to their employment prospects and potential. It is deeply disheartening that indicate that more than 72 million youth in Africa are not in education, employment, or training鈥攖he majority of them young women.听In addition, while the global literacy rate stands at 90%,听. Apart from traditional literacy skills like reading and writing, it’s crucial to acknowledge that fundamental digital literacy is no longer optional; it’s a necessity. It’s the key that unlocks understanding, engagement, and prosperity in our interconnected world. These competencies extend beyond mere instruments for developing systems, software, and applications; they are enablers of critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and innovation.

According to a report from the approximately 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will demand digital skills by 2030. While these figures may seem daunting, they also fuel our desire to continue to innovate and drive greater change, while reflecting on the profound impact of 麻豆原创’s philanthropic efforts.

听Equipping Teachers with 21^st Century Skills

听Spearheaded by 麻豆原创 in 2015 as part of its social investments to drive sustainable growth in Africa, Africa Code Week is a digital skills development initiative that has benefitted millions of young Africans so far.听In 2022 alone, our听programme actively engaged over +2.6 million participants, equipping them with indispensable 21^st century skills. Through an impressive tally of 37,121 workshops spanning the continent, it’s encouraging to note that over 48% of participants were female, furthering our commitment to gender equality. We also extended this transformative opportunity to 9,900 young individuals with special needs, nurturing their growth and potential.

听While this programme has made remarkable strides, challenges persist. Without teachers who can impart 21^st century learning skills to students, the continent risks creating a digital divide that could stifle economic growth and limit opportunities for its young population. 麻豆原创 Africa Code Week’s Women Empowerment Programme (WEP) is making a significant impact in this regard. This Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme equips African female teachers and educators in Computer Science and STEM with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully teach, inspire, mentor, and prepare girls for tomorrow鈥檚 tech workplace. The WEP thereby supports ACW鈥檚 ambitious plans to transform the continent鈥檚 education system by including digital literacy in national curricula鈥攊n line with the work of United Nations SDGs and

In addition to this, Africa Code Week’s Train-the-Trainer sessions are an integral component of the programme’s mission to equip educators with the knowledge and skills needed to teach coding and digital literacy to students across the continent. These sessions serve as a capacity-building initiative designed to create a network of skilled trainers who can, in turn, train teachers and students in their local communities.

By providing educators with specialised training in coding and digital literacy, they can enhance their teaching capacity. The workshops also equip educators to deliver high-quality instruction in technology-related subjects, which are increasingly important in the 21^st century classroom. In addition to this, educators are empowered to go beyond traditional teaching methods. They learn how to incorporate innovative and technology-driven pedagogical approaches into their classrooms. This not only improves the learning experience for students but also makes teaching more engaging and relevant.

Looking ahead

听As we reflect on the significance of World Teachers’ Day, it is important to remember that teachers are the torchbearers of knowledge, hope, and progress. As we champion equal access to education, we recognise that future skills play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of tomorrow’s workforce. By addressing the teacher shortage, upskilling educators in advanced 21^st century learning, and promoting digital literacy, we can uplift Africa’s youth to shape a brighter future. Together, we can turn the global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage into a reality that benefits us all.

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Since 2015, ACW has firmly positioned itself as Africa鈥檚 biggest digital skills program. This year鈥檚 initiative will continue to reach all corners of Africa, leaving no child or youth behind. The 2022 rollout includes ambitious plans to partner closely with policymakers and governments to help transform Africa鈥檚 education agenda by adding digital literacy to the national curricula. Currently, nine African countries have officially adopted coding as a mandatory subject in public education^[i].

The 2022 launch is the start of ACW鈥檚 two-year transition period, where governments will play an even greater role in fostering the adoption of coding in their countries鈥� schools. The program will continue to reach more communities and countries via in-person and online events. Due to widespread success from previous years, additional ACW programs such as the AfriCAN Code Challenge and the Women Empowerment Program (WEP) will also forge ahead. The former is a pan-African coding competition where youth aged 8 鈥� 16 are tasked with coding a game that can be used to change the future of education. The latter is a unique Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program that equips African female teachers and educators in Computer Science and STEM with the skills and knowledge they need to teach, inspire, mentor, and prepare girls for tomorrow’s tech workplace.

This year鈥檚 World Teachers鈥� Day theme comes amid the World Economic Forum鈥檚 prediction that 230 million jobs across the continent will require some level of digital skills by 2030^[ii]. ACW鈥檚 focus on education transformation aims to curb Africa鈥檚 unemployment crisis and create a ripple effect in helping to solve many of the continent鈥檚 social and environmental issues, as 麻豆原创 CSR announced its new commitment to power equitable access to economic opportunity, education and employment and a green economy. Through ACW, 麻豆原创 and partners are on a mission to inspire a new generation of African youth through digital skills development and empower teachers and communities with digital teaching tools to create a more equitable and sustainable future.

To get involved in this year鈥檚 Africa Code Week program or for further information, visit or write to ambassadors@africacodeweek.org

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The year 2020 will be remembered by teachers around the world as one of adapting to new circumstances and technology. But while in developed countries, online learning merely presented challenges, in Africa the effect was catastrophic. About on the continent were closed, resulting in . On a continent which already displays wide disparities in wealth and access to technology, a disruption of this magnitude was a major setback.

The need to upskill teachers

In fact, most teachers cited a lack of access to technology and affordability issues as the biggest barrier they faced to teach their students online during the pandemic. Before COVID, many African teachers had received . The lockdown forced them to in order to support learners, parents and caregivers so that learning could proceed, despite the uncertainty caused by the virus.

The fact that many new teachers lack digital skills is precisely why the need to upskill them is so crucial. Teachers have enormous potential to bridge the digital divide in Africa. With our annual (ACW), whose launch coincides with World Teacher鈥檚 Day, 麻豆原创 and global partners such as UNESCO, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and Irish Aid, bring together a wealth of talent to train African teachers and students in coding and 21^st century skills. Last year the program reached . More than 10 500 workshops were hosted across 43 countries and 21 000 teachers were mobilised through virtual and in-person Train-the-Trainer sessions.

Teaching digital fluency

听One of the driving forces behind the ACW initiative is to see African countries adopt coding as part of their school curriculum. In a survey conducted among participating countries in 2020, , and ten more indicated they are planning to incorporate coding soon. The survey also found that 87% of respondents agreed that听ACW听plays an influential role in advancing the adoption of coding as a school subject.

Through the initiative鈥檚 Train-the-Trainer sessions with learners, ACW is simplifying what has historically been perceived as a highly technical area. Learning how to code is like learning a new language, a language which opens doors into the 21^st century and beyond. African teachers need to be empowered to combine traditional and digital literacy in their classrooms, so that students not only learn to read and write, but to develop their creativity to experiment and find solutions which help them engage better with the world around them.

Since inception in 2015, what we have learned from ACW is that it involves participants who would normally have had no exposure to coding, apart from consuming applications on their smart phones or computers. Coding is relevant to all industries in today鈥檚 globalised economy and as a result, digital skills need to be constantly refreshed. Through our innovative public-private partnerships, we firmly believe that by sharing skills and knowledge, we will empower Africans 鈥� both teachers and learners 鈥� to take control of their futures.

There is little doubt that teachers are key to rebuilding society post-COVID because of their inestimable power to reimagine the future and reshape young people鈥檚 lives. To do this, African teachers will need to embrace the technology at their disposal in order for students to get the quality education they need to face the rigours of the digital world. African education must find new models that foreground virtual teaching to cushion it against future disruptions. As ADEA Executive Secretary Albert Nsengiyumva so aptly puts it, 鈥淭oday, more than ever before, we need to adapt as quickly as possible to crises and look for alternatives to advance education and training in Africa.鈥�

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – October 6^th, 2021 – Africa鈥檚 biggest digital skills initiative, 麻豆原创 Africa Code Week (ACW), officially launched yesterday with a strong focus on virtual learning as the continent struggles to recover after COVID-19 disruption. The launch coincided with , which focuses this year on 鈥渢eachers at the heart of education recovery鈥�.

Speaking at a virtual event to mark both World Teacher’s Day and the start of 麻豆原创 Africa Code Week, UNESCO鈥檚 Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Dr Tawfik Jelassi, said that the pandemic has had a devastating effect, not only on the world鈥檚 health system and economy, but also on education and the teaching profession. Research shows that have been most impacted by the pandemic, while a UNICEF study estimated that many African schoolchildren . 鈥淭eachers are at the heart of global education recovery efforts and are key in accelerating progress towards inclusive, equitable and quality education for every learner in every circumstance,鈥� Jelassi said.

In light of COVID and the need for virtual learning, Jelassi highlighted the importance of digital skills for Africa鈥檚 youth. 鈥淯nderstanding information technology, computational thinking, and problem-solving are all fundamental information literacy skills. Everyone should have access to information and be able to obtain the necessary competencies to turn information into knowledge and knowledge into practical value which enhances their lives and well-being,鈥� he said.

The necessity of digital fluency

Since its inception in 2015, Africa Code Week has empowered more than nine million youth and provides free opportunities for students and teachers to learn much-needed technology skills. Last year the format of the program shifted entirely to the exciting world of virtual, making it even more accessible to youth across the continent.

A key highlight for ACW this year is the , a coding competition for students aged 8 to 16 to create a game that solves a community-issue using the听听programming language. The theme for this year is 鈥淐hange the world with your superpowers鈥�. Last year the competition drew entries from 1,800 participants from 40 African countries, with the top three winners from Ethiopia, South Africa and Algeria – all three of whom are girls.

Speaking at the virtual launch, Honorable Albert Nsengiyumva, Executive Secretary of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and ACW patron, said that coding offers new ways for young people to find solutions, although he acknowledged that infrastructure on the continent remains a challenge. 鈥淐oding is a language which young people need to be fluent in,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t gives our children computational skills and the ability to creatively solve problems.鈥�

Encouraging teachers and girls to embrace technology

As part of ACW, a host of Train-the-Trainer virtual sessions are aimed at empowering teachers with critical digital teaching skills. Training opportunities also encompass a Women Empowerment Program which seeks to teach, mentor, and inspire African women and girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Although Africa has according to the UN, less than are in STEM fields and female students in particular are critically underrepresented.

Speaking of the need to educate educators, Claudio Muruzabal, 麻豆原创 Regional President of EMEA South, said, 鈥淓ducation has an unbelievably powerful multiplier effect for a positive future. The more we can do to create opportunities for young people to embrace digital literacy, the more we contribute relevantly towards creating a better future for them, for their families, and for their communities.鈥�

Smart switch to mobile technology

With , a major innovation of last year鈥檚 ACW was the introduction of a smartphone app. 鈥淲hile we are immensely proud of this and the fact that millions of learners and teachers are being exposed to the endless possibilities the tech world offers, we are also excited to be sparking conversations about access to quality education for all and addressing the gender and special-needs barriers for Africa鈥檚 youth,鈥� said Claire Gillissen-Duval, head of 麻豆原创 Corporate Social Responsibility for EMEA and Africa Code Week founder.

The driving force behind ACW is to empower young people and help them to become digitally literate and enable Africa to leapfrog into the 21st century. 鈥淭his could only be possible through the collaborative relationships between the public, private and non-profit sectors that are at the heart of ACW,鈥� said Michelle Winthrop, Policy Unit Director at Irish Aid, which together with 麻豆原创 and UNESCO, is one of the program鈥檚 main sponsors.

Despite the restrictions imposed by COVID, last year鈥檚 initiative successfully reached 1.5 million youth, of which nearly half (48%) were girls. Over 10,500 workshops were held across 43 countries and 21,000 teachers participated in Train-the-Trainer sessions.

The live workshop season of Africa Code Week 2021 officially commenced on World Teacher鈥檚 Day, 5 October, and is now open to more than 54 pan-African countries. For more information about Africa Code Week or to get involved, visit

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Africa鈥檚 biggest digital skills initiative is now underway. 麻豆原创 Africa Code Week (ACW) officially launched its sixth edition on Monday听 October 5^th with an all-new virtual format and a host of exciting new developments.

Speaking at a virtual event to mark World Teacher’s Day and launch this year鈥檚 麻豆原创 Africa Code Week, UNESCO Deputy Director-General Xing Qu said this year鈥檚 ACW takes place in the unprecedented context of the COVID-19 pandemic. 鈥淎s distance learning became the norm for most students, this shift has taught us that digital skills are essential. And yet fewer than 30% of people worldwide master basic ICT skills, and only 3% of adults in middle-income countries have coding skills.鈥�

Women also continue to be excluded, continued Mr Xing Qu, as 鈥渨omen and girls are 25 percent less likely than men to know how to use digital technology for basic purposes, according to UNESCO鈥檚 I鈥檇 Blush if I Could. We all know digital skills are no longer an option 鈥� they are a necessity. While COVID-19 is creating challenges, it is also offering opportunities. Due to the pandemic, this year鈥檚 ACW is taking place entirely online and, as a result, is covering all 54 countries on the African continent.鈥�

Virtual Training and a Challenge to Hone Skills and Drive Change

Launched September 1^st in partnership with 麻豆原创, UNESCO YouthMobile and Irish Aid, the is a coding competition for students aged 8 to 16 currently taking place across the continent. Invited to compete individually or in teams, young participants (a.k.a. 鈥楥ourageous Coders鈥�) are on a mission to imagine the future of education with a Scratch game and 2-minute video explaining why their code should win. Fostering a wide range of essential skills from problem-solving and coding all the way to teamwork and communications, the challenge will see the top 3 winners from each participating country compete at the pan-African level. Final results will be announced later this year.

A 2016 study found that : they are indispensable in the fight for quality education for all and the fulfillment of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, as well as SDG 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. But the COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted schooling across the continent, with an and a prevailing shortage of teachers hampering efforts at providing every child with primary and secondary school education.

In response to this, ACW partners have refocused efforts towards virtual capacity building. The ACW Teacher Training season kicked off on September 21, with hundreds of virtual training sessions taking place all over the continent thanks to the hard work of public, private and nonprofit partners supporting the initiative in every participating country.

Virtual Learning to Support Capacity Building

Two-thirds of Africa鈥檚 population is expected to , and 84% of the population – more than one billion people – will access a SIM connection by the same year.

On a mission to facilitate learning and teaching beyond classroom walls, the is the other major development brought by this 6^th edition and being launched today. Available in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic, it allows students and teachers to access dedicated resources anytime, anywhere from their Android device.

鈥淥ver the past five years, Africa Code Week has grown into a trusted repository of free and open-source resources that support both students and their teachers on their digital empowerment journey,鈥� said Claire Gillissen-Duval, Director of EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility and Co-founder of Africa Code Week at 麻豆原创.听鈥淲ith the growing access to mobile technology across the continent and the increasing prevalence of online learning, we believe the time is now to facilitate access to quality educational content with a mobile app,鈥� said Gillissen-Duval.

According to Albert Nsengiyumva, Executive Secretary of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa () and official ACW Patron there is need for a consolidated effort from the public and private sectors as well as civil society to close the digital gender gap. 鈥淲e need to jointly provide affordable access to digital tools and remove barriers to women and girls鈥� full participation in the digital economy. We are seeing great innovation in the use of technology driven by women. We have made a good start, but we now need a consolidated effort to ensure this progress can continue and sustain over time.鈥�

In 2019, ACW empowered 3.85 million youth with basic coding skills, with female participation standing at 47%. In addition, more than听39,000 teachers were mobilized across the continent.

Cathy Smith, Managing Director at 麻豆原创 Africa, said: 鈥淭eaching young kids to code is a gift that will endure for decades to come. It is critically important that we take advantage of our most precious resource, our youth. If we harness this resource by empowering it with digital skills, Africa will go from strength in 2020 and beyond.鈥�

For more information about Africa Code Week, please visit or to watch the ACW Teachers Day launch, click

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